Dolphins vs. Bengals prediction: Miami pivots to Quinn Ewers at quarterback but Cincinnati should still win

Sunday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins will not include a showdown between 2020 draft classmates Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa as the later has been benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers. 

The Dolphins' quarterback change is symbolic of the type of season both teams have endured. After entering the season with playoff aspirations, the Dolphins and Bengals are instead playing for pride during the season's final three weeks. Jobs are also at stake, as losing seasons usually lead to considerable offseason changes. 

Miami (6-8) was eliminated from postseason contention following this past Monday night's 28-15 loss to the Steelers. After a 1-6 start, the fact that the Dolphins were still relevant this late into the season is still notable even if the end result was the same. But now that they have been eliminated, the Dolphins have decided to see what they have in Ewers, a seventh-round pick who attempted just eight passes in Miami's first 14 games. 

Ewers' lack of experience is surely a big reason why the Dolphins are underdogs against Cincinnati (4-10), who was also eliminated from postseason contention in Week 15. The Bengals are surely motivated to put a better product on the field this week after last week's 24-0 loss to the visiting Ravens. 

Where to watch Dolphins vs. Bengals live

• Date: Sunday, Dec. 21 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
• Location: Hard Rock Stadium -- Miami Gardens, Florida 
• TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ 
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Odds: Bengals -3.5, O/U 47.5 (via DraftKings) 

Dolphins vs. Bengals: Need to know 

• Ewers' debut. While he doesn't have much NFL regular season experience, Ewers started in a whooping 37 games during his three seasons at Texas. An Ohio State transfer, Ewers threw 53 touchdowns while completing 67.3% of his passes. Last season, he led the SEC with 31 touchdowns, but he also led the conference with 12 interceptions. 
  
• Battered but not broken. While they are ranked 32nd in points allowed and have been a major reason for Cincinnati's shortcomings in recent years, Cincinnati's defense does appear to be turning a corner. During last week's loss to the Ravens, the Bengals' defense received notable efforts from 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy, rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight and third-year safety Jordan Battle. Murphy and Knight each had two sacks of Lamar Jackson, while Battle recorded his third interception of the season. 
• Joe Brrr. Burrow has been somewhat chilly since his return to the lineup since missing nine games with turf toe. This season, he's completing a career-low 60.5% of his passes and has thrown as many touchdowns (four) as interception over his past two games.
• Higgins factor. The Bengals' offense have been nearly unstoppable in games where Burrow and wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins each played. The issue is that that hasn't happened nearly as much over the past several years, as each player has dealt with various injuries. The trio is slated to be together on Sunday, though, after Higgins missed last week's loss to Baltimore after being in the league's concussion protocol. 

Dolphins vs. Bengals prediction, pick 

Miami has the better team, but Ewers' lack of experience and the fact that Burrow will have his top two wideouts in tow gives Cincinnati a considerable edge. Cincinnati's defense has struggled, but there's tangible reasons to believe that it will be willing to make enough plays Sunday to complement Burrow and the Bengals' offense. Pick: Bengals -3.5, Under 47.5