Cincinnati Bengals To Face QB Making Starting Debut for 23rd Time; Here's the Full, Sad List

CINCINNATI – The Miami Dolphins announced Wednesday they are benching Tua Tagovailoa and will start Quinn Ewers on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It will be the first start of Ewers’ career.

A rookie seventh-round pick, Ewers made his NFL debut in Week 7 at Cleveland when he went 5 of 8 for 53 yards late in a 31-6 loss.

Upon news of the quarterback switch, the betting line jumped from Bengals by 1 to Bengals by 4.5.

Perhaps it shouldn’t have.

This will be the 23rd time a quarterback has made his NFL starting debut against the Bengals.

They have gone 14-8 in the previous 22.

That is the worst record of the Super Bowl era among all teams.

Records vs. QBs making starting debuts since 1966. — Pro-Football-Reference.com

Here are the full game details:

Week 18, 2022, Anthony Brown, Baltimore Ravens

Brown went 19 of 44 for 286 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and four sacks as the Bengals won the season finale at home, 27-16.

Line: Cincinnati by 9

Week 8, 2021, Mike White, New York Jets

White lit up the Bengals on Halloween, going 37 of 45 for 405 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34-31 win at Met Life Stadium.

The Bengals sacked him twice.

Line: Cincinnati by 11

Week 11, 2018, Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

The rookie first-round pick took over for Joe Flacco after the team’s bye week, and he used his legs to lead Baltimore to a 24-21 at home.

Jackson was only 13 of 19 for 150 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, but he rushed 26 times for 119 yards. The Bengals sacked him three times.

Line: Baltimore by 6.5

Week 2, 2017, Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

Watson made his debut on the road on Thursday night football and ripped off a 50-yard touchdown run that was the difference in a 13-9 victory.

He was only 15 of 24 for 125 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and three sacks. Watson rushed five times for 67 yards.

Line: Cincinnati by 5

Week 16, 2016, Tom Savage, Houston Texans

Savage was just 18 of 29 for 176 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and four sacks, but the Texans won the game 12-10 on Christmas eve when Cincinnati kicker Randy Bullock missed a 43-yard field goal at the gun in Houston.

Line: Houston by 3

Week 15, 2014, Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns

The Bengals, who were underdogs despite being 8-4-1, embarrassed the brash rookie Heisman trophy winner, holding him to 10 of 18 passing for 80 yards with two interceptions and three sacks in a 30-0 road win.

Line: Cleveland by 1

Week 3, 2010, Jimmy Clausen, Carolina Panthers

The Bengals went to Carolina and beat Clausen and the Panthers 20-7, holding the rookie to 16 of 33 passing for 188 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and one sack.

Line: Cincinnati by 3.5

Week 1, 2008, Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

The Bengals held Flacco to 15 of 29 for 129 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. But they failed to sack him and allowed him to run for a 38-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to build a 14-point lead on the way to a 17-14 victory in Baltimore.

Line: Cincinnati by 2

Week 15, 2007, Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49ers

Hill played well at home, going 21 of 28 for 197 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and two sacks.

He also rushed for a touchdown to help lead the 49ers to a 20-13 win.

Line: Cincinnati by 8.5

Week 14 2007, Brock Berlin, St. Louis Rams

Berlin was 17 of 28 for 153 points and one interception on the road as the Bengals won 19-10.

Line: Cincinnati by 10

Week 1, 2002, Drew Brees, San Diego Chargers

The final season of the Dick LeBeau era opened with Brees lighting up the Bengals defense by going 15 of 19 for 160 yards and two touchdowns with one sack in a 34-6 rout at Paul Brown Stadium.

Line: Cincinnati by 3

Week 17, 1999, Jay Fiedler, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars were 13-2 and headed for the No. 1 seed when they turned to Fiedler instead of Mark Brunnell, and the 28-year-old career backup went 28 of 39 for 317 yards and a touchdown.

The Bengals sacked Fiedler twice and jumped out to an early 7-0 lead at home, but the Jaguars rallied for a 24-7 win.

Line: Jacksonville by 9

Week 11, 1997, Kelly Holcomb, Indianapolis Colts

The 0-9 Colts had brought Holcomb off the bench the week before and started him against the 2-7 Bengals in Indianapolis.

It did not go well, as he went just 19 of 32 for 236 yards with one touchdown, three interceptions and seven sacks in a 28-13 loss.

Line: Cincinnati by 2.5

Week 9, 1995, Eric Zeier, Cleveland Browns

Maybe the greatest coaching mismatch in NFL history, Bill Belichick turned to the rookie Zeier against Dave Shula and the Bengals and pulled out a 29-26 road win.

Zeier went 26 of 46 for 310 yards with one touchdown, one interception and two sacks.

Line: Cleveland by 2

Week 4, 1987, Rick Neuheisel, San Diego Chargers

In a replacement-players game during the 1987 strike, Neuheisel went 10 of 19 for 84 yards with one interception and three sacks in a 10-9 win.

Line: Cincinnati by 2

Week 6, 1986, Bubby Brister, Pittsburgh Steelers

In a Monday Night game at Riverfront Stadium, Brister had the Steelers in front 19-14 before the Bengals used a 61-yard run by punter Jeff Hayes on a perfect fake to turn the game.

Brister was 12 of 33 for 191 yards and a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

The Bengals sacked him once.

Line: Cincinnati by 7.5

Week 4, 1984, Jeff Kemp, Los Angeles Rams

Kemp went 13 of 23 for 205 yards and a 52-yard touchdown against the winless Bengals for a 24-14 road win.

The Cincinnati defense sacked Kemp once.

Line: Cincinnati by 5

Week 16, 1983, Wade Wilson, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings had lost six of seven after a 6-2 start when Bud Grant benched Steve Dils for Wilson in the season finale.

Wilson was 16 of 28 for 124 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and three sacks in a 20-14 home win.

Line: Cincinnati by 3

Week 15, 1981, Mark Malone, Pittsburgh Steelers

Malone took over for the injured Terry Bradshaw the week before and went 10 of 15 for 137 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and three sacks.

The Bengals won 17-10 on their way to clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed and reaching their first Super Bowl.

Line: Pick ’em

Week 6, 1976, Mike Kruczek, Pittsburgh Steelers

Kruczek was just 5 of 12 for 58 yards with one interception and one sack as he handed the ball to Franco Harris for 41 rushes and two scores.

The Bengals were 4-1, but Pittsburgh won 23-6 at Three Rivers Stadium.

Line: Cincinnati by 4

Week 9, 1970, Mike Phipps, Cleveland Browns

Phipps helped the Browns to a 10-0 lead at Riverfront Stadium, but he finished just 11 of 25 for 170 yards with one interception and two sacks.

The Bengals, who were 2-6, rallied to win 14-10.

Line: Cleveland by 7

Week 5, 1968, Marlin Briscoe, Denver Broncos

Briscoe was 4 of 11 for 37 yards with two sacks before being replaced, with Steve Tensi lead the Broncos to a 10-7 win, their first of the season.

Line: Denver by 3