MIAMI GARDENS — If the end of the Miami Dolphins’ season is more about auditioning young players than winning, well, they did both Sunday.
Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers threw his first two NFL regular-season touchdown passes. One of them went to undrafted rookie wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. for his first touchdown catch.
In a game full of firsts for the Dolphins’ youth, the team already eliminated from postseason contention defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had playoff implications in the NFC South on the line, 20-17, on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
“It doesn’t matter our record. We know we’re out of the playoffs, but at the same time it’s about pride,” said running back De’Von Achane, who had 83 yards rushing and 29 receiving. “My pride is too big for me to go out there on national TV and let somebody embarrass me.”
Miami (7-9) snapped a two-game losing streak and bounced back from an ugly 45-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday with a home victory in the penultimate game of the season.
“It’s special. It’s what I always dreamed of, is playing in this league at the highest level,” Ewers said after his first win as a starter. “We’re not playing for a Super Bowl, so I thought we did a good job of playing for each other and playing for our last names.”
Tampa Bay (7-9), which has now lost seven of eight, could’ve been eliminated with the loss, but survived thanks to the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Carolina Panthers.
Ewers, with backup center Andrew Meyer snapping him the football in Meyer’s first NFL game, was 14 of 22 for 172 yards, threw his first two touchdown passes and did not throw an interception.
“Quinn played a very good game with what we asked him to do, was very responsible but aggressive with the football,” coach Mike McDaniel said.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield went 33 of 44 for 346 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Mayfield quickly drove the Bucs down for a touchdown with 50 seconds left. He hit Mike Evans for a 4-yard score after picking up 59 yards on a pitch and catch to Chris Godwin and got in close thanks to Evans drawing a pass interference against Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas.
Achane, though, recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the Miami victory.
Leading, 10-7, deep in the first half, Ewers made possibly his most impressive throw to date as a pro, anticipating tight end Greg Dulcich, who had 58 receiving yards, coming open across the middle and leading him perfectly for an 11-yard touchdown.
“He did a great job of winning on that spin route, crossing that guy’s face,” Ewers said. “I knew that, if I put it in a spot, that he was going to be able to go grab it. It’s fun when plays work out that way.”
Added Dulcich: “It was the right look for the call we made, and he put an awesome ball out ther. It was sweet.”
The scoring drive came after rookie cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. had his first career interception, tracking down a deep ball that was underthrown by Mayfield.
Before the first half was over, rookie defensive tackle Zeek Biggers blocked a field goal to preserve a 17-7 advantage going into halftime. Those 3 points proved later to account for the difference on the scoreboard.
“We’ve been very reliant on the rookie class,” McDaniel said. “It was very calculated, the people we brought in.”
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The Bucs crept back within one possession with a Chase McLaughlin field goal in the third quarter after an eight-minute drive, but Miami got those points back with a field goal of its own early in the fourth quarter, which made the advantage, 20-10.
Mayfield was trying to drive the Bucs in the middle of the fourth quarter and down 10, but a downfield throw was intercepted by veteran safety Ashtyn Davis, who secured his first pick with Miami after signing with the team in free agency over the past offseason.
The defense forced another turnover later, when Bradley Chubb stripped Mayfield for his second sack of the afternoon, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Quinton Bell.
“Just playing together and tackling,” Chubb said of the team’s defensive effort. “I feel like those two areas we’ve been lacking in those past two losses we had. We just focused on that all throughout the week of practice and it showed up (Sunday).”
The Buccaneers struck first Sunday when Mayfield fired over the middle to Godwin for a 5-yard touchdown that capped a 14-play, 68-yard drive that consumed 7:27 and was extended by a fourth-and-short pickup.
The Dolphins answered later in the first with Ewers combining with Wease, his favorite target in the preseason, wide open for a 63-yard catch and run for a touchdown. It marked the longest play from scrimmage Miami has had all season and evened the score at 7.
“Quinn’s eyes,” Wease said was the key to getting him open. “He’s the reason that the corner, he bit on the route inside of me. I got to give hats off to Quinn. He gave me a good ball, and I had to put my head down and keep running and go score.”
Wease added he thought it was fake with how open he was with a clear path to the end zone.
With it being each’s first touchdown, Ewers said he gets to keep the ball but that Wease can get the next.
The Dolphins later took their first lead, 10-7, on a short Riley Patterson field goal after running back Jaylen Wright set it up by breaking free for a 32-yard rush.
Beyond the three takeaways, the Dolphins defense held Tampa Bay rushing to 53 yards Sunday.
The Dolphins finish the 2025 season at the New England Patriots (13-3) next weekend.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) takes the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) speaks the the media after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) walks off the field after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs off the filed after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins safety Ashtyn Davis (21) runs off the field after intercepting a pass from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins safety Ashtyn Davis (21) gets up after interce[pting a pass from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins linebacker Quinton Bell (56) grabs bu can’t bring down Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins linebacker Quinton Bell (56) grabs bu can’t bring down Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) celebrates a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter in the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) is sacked and fumbles in the fourth crater agains the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) runs for a first down against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) celebrates after running for a first down against Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) walks off the field holding his ribs during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich celebrates a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) catches a pass over Miami Dolphins safety Ashtyn Davis (21) Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) runs past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) is brought down by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) after catching his own deflected pass Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (5) runs for a first down past Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (3)Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) calls the defense play as Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) prepares to get the snap Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) rolls out top pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich (85) runs in a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Dolphins WR Theo Wease Jr. (81) runs in a touchdown vs. the Buccaneers on Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) takes the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) and Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) take the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel takes the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins GM Champ Kelly is seen before the gam against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
A Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan arrives early for the matchup against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Lots of Bucs fans are expected as the team can make the playoffs with win. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) spoeaks with quarterback coach Darrell Bevell before the gam against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
/\Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) embraces quarterback coach Darrell Bevell before the gam against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) visit prior to the game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) takes the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)