All eyes on the Miami Dolphins' Week 16 meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals were expected to be on new starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. The rookie seventh-round pick replaced the struggling Tua Tagovailoa, and how he looked in his first start could have long-term implications.
While there is plenty to discuss when it comes to his performance, the real story of the 45-21 blowout loss was the disappointing showing by the Dolphins' defense. Since the start of the second half against the Steelers a week ago, the Miami defense has allowed 66 points.
Miami had allowed just 53 points total during their four-game win streak before Week 15, but these last two games have revealed that the quality of their opponents may have been the reason for the defensive turnaround.