Week 2 Dolphins vs 49ers Review
The Dolphins improved on their week 1 play across both sides of the ball, but against a talented and rolling 49ers team, it was not even close to enough.
On the road in San Francisco, facing a 49ers team who last week handily beat the “super team” Rams, the Miami Dolphins were Vegas’ steepest betting underdog at +13.5 this week. In preparation, the Dolphins stayed in the Pacific time zone following last week’s loss to the Raiders, hoping to gain an edge against a 49ers time recalibrating from an extended stay in Melbourne, Australia. Combined with on-the-field offensive and defensive execution which often looked better than week 1, it all resulted in… the Dolphins missing the spread by 8.5. The 49ers won 35 – 13, playing backups, including quarterback Mac Jones, for nearly half of the 4th quarter.
Offensively, there were obvious adjustments in response to week 1’s loss to the Raiders. Star running back Devon Achane enjoyed a combined 23 touches for 94 yards through the air and on the ground, and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik continued to call Achane’s number even after the 49ers accumulated a multi-score lead. Staying with the ground game enabled Miami to benefit from one of the Shanahan tree’s most effective heuristics: forcing the opponent’s defensive linemen to run, and their secondary to tackle, by rushing to the outside. Despite the lopsided loss, bettors and fantasy players holding Achane stock should feel confident in the offensive adjustments Miami put on tape this week. Wide receiver Malik Washington also featured prominently following an anonymous performance last week. His four receptions led the team, alongside one rushing attempt and four combined kick and punt returns. In a season where Miami is short on proven offensive playmakers, Washington’s versatility and explosiveness is a potentially valuable resource.
Defensively, the Dolphins looked much improved from the week prior, even if the final score does not suggest it. The 49ers first drive saw the Dolphins execute one goal line run stop which last week would have felt impossible. The Niners ultimately punched it in on the next attempt, but Miami’s ability to stop even the most obvious runs was an open question after week 1. The run defense overall showed improved confidence and gap discipline, limiting the 49ers designed run game to 67 yards on 22 carries; and star running back Christian McCaffrey to a 2.3 yards-per-carry average.
However, 49ers head coach and offensive play caller Kyle Shanahan terrorized Miami’s defense through the air. Relying on journeymen and practice squad call-ups in the absence of Chop Robinson (concussion), the Dolphins’ pass rush was completely anemic, as 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy went 20 of 22 for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns. Purdy also saw considerable success on scrambles, accumulating 30 yards and one of the Niners’ five touchdowns. Similar formations and personnel groupings which the Raiders gouged Miami with a week ago featured on Shanahan’s call sheet. Tightly bunched looks gave slot -aligned receivers, especially veteran Deebo Samuel, uncontested releases along the intermediate route tree; and with the Niners’ receiver room already looking thin following Demarcus Robinson’s 2nd quarter injury (followed later by Mike Evans), San Francisco was not afraid to dial up shots to veteran tight end Greg Kittle or fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Fundamentally, the Dolphins were beaten by a better coached and more talented 49ers team. The score would have been even more one-sided were it not for a garbage time 77-yard Ryan Miller receiving touchdown. Special teams execution remains a point of improvement, as placekicker Riley Patterson missed another field goal, and punter Bradley Pinion fumbled an attempt at Miami’s own 39-yard line late in the 3rd quarter. Similar to week 1, Miami allowed multiple successful returns throughout the game, but lackluster coverage will feel like a low-priority issue compared to the kicking ailments. For the second week in a row Dolphins first year head coach Jeff Hafley made a head-scratchingly conservative decision, electing to kick a (successful) field goal from the 49ers 5-yard line to send the game into halftime, rather than taking a shot at the endzone. Given Miami’s competitive expectations this season, hyper-aggression in scoring opportunities is likely not an edge which Hafley can afford to pass up on the road against heavily favorited opponents.
Across the league, this week’s results consistently reminded NFL fans, analysts, and bettors to distrust week 1 conclusions and overreactions. Dolphins fans should take heart that the team’s performance in San Francisco was much improved from the one in Las Vegas a week prior, even if the result was not. Unfortunately, next week sees Miami make their home debut at Hard Rock Stadium at 1:00 pm eastern, against a Kansas City Chiefs team currently favored by more than a touchdown (-8.5). As it looks increasingly possible Miami’s harshest detractors were correct about the team’s competitive prospects this season, it is worth noting that Texas and Oregon each play competitive conference opponents this Saturday.
