Week 2 Recap - 49ers vs Dolphins
Updated: 5 days ago
The San Francisco 49ers (2-0) defeated the Miami Dolphins (0-2) in their home opener by a score of 35-13.
The 49ers knocked down a team that many expect to be the worst in football. Let's discuss.
Game Flow
Miami controlled the first half, starting with a 9 play drive resulting in a missed FG. The 49ers took the miss and had a 12 play TD drive, capped off by a 1 yard run from Christian McCaffrey. The Dolphins responded with a 17 play drive that took 9:21 off the clock, and Riley Patterson knocked down his first FG of the day, a 28 yarder, before doing so again on Miami's next long drive, this time a 24 yarder to end the half. In between, Brock Purdy scrambled in for a score. 14-6
The 49ers dominated the 3rd quarter, starting with a quick TD to George Kittle, followed by a Miami 3 and out, and the 49ers following it up with another TD, this time to FB Kyle Juszczyk. A flubbed punt attempt by the Dolphins gave the 49ers a quick score, another McCaffrey 1 yard TD. Each teams exchanged punts until Miami hit a deep shot to WR Ryan Miller to put a cap on this game. 35-13
Reviewing My Preview
I correctly predicted the outcome of this one, but shorted the 49ers a bit, as they dominated Miami. Malik Willis' legs were limited, as he had just 2 carries for 6 yards, and I was also correct about the Dolphins run game philosophy.
They dominated time of possession in the first half, limiting the 49ers to just two drives. Miami came out running the ball and eating clock, but were unable to do so in the 2nd half because they were down 28-6 by the time of their second possession in the 2nd half. When Miami was forced to drop back, I was correct in saying the 49ers would get pressure, as they had 4 sacks.
I discussed the 49ers offensive line in the preview, and will talk about them in a minute, and how they need to step up in the run game, as I anticipated a balanced showing from the 49ers offense. It was not so balanced, as the running game struggled to get going and San Francisco relied on the passing attack.
I was fairly accurate when predicting the flow of this game. It feels good to have a hit like this early in the season.
49ers Overreactions/Takeaways
The offensive line is elite.
Well, at least the pass protection is. Brock Purdy as hardly been touched in the first two weeks of the season, having all day to dice up defenses. The run blocking has been good, not great. I have other questions about the run game that do not necessarily begin with the O-Line.
George Kittle is still an All-Pro caliber TE.
I was initially a bit worried about Kittle coming off an achilles tear. Obviously he was not going to be the same, he's a 32 year old man who tore his achilles in January. The question was, how much of his explosiveness was truly sapped away? In Week 1, it looked like a lot. But seeing him catch the ball downfield and even break a few tackles against Miami was reassuring. And oh yeah, he's still a dominate blocker.
The starting safety duo is solidified.
As much as I would love to see what a healthy Malik Mustapha can do, it will have to wait. Marques Sigle looks like a Pro Bowler, as I have lauded all offseason. And Ji'Ayir Brown appears to have slimmed down a bit, as his movement ability looks improved. They are both great at coming downhill, with Brown leading the team with 12 total tackles on Sunday, including a clutch TFL.
The run defense is back-breakingly bad with the weak interior.
Los Angeles in Week 1 had moments of running at will, and MIami did something similar in the first half of Week 2. The 49ers simply do not have a guy who can anchor down and stop the run on the interior. Alfred Collins is out for the season and they turn to two rookies and CJ West, who is simply inconsistent.
Again, the pros and cons section for this season will be mostly based on who I watched in depth on film, and I will have a weekly game film thread on my Twitter/X instead of providing cut-ups. You can find said thread here.
Let me know after each game who you want me to watch in depth after each game!
Pros
The pass protection
I mentioned the offensive line possibly being elite, but the pass pro is what really stands out. Connor Colby has seemingly locked down the LG spot, forming an incredibly powerful duo on the left side. Brock Purdy has been kept remarkably clean thus far, and it's because the 49ers offensive line is smooth in pass pro and picking up stunts and blitzes. While Miami's front may not be great, the 49ers offensive line held up well against Los Angeles too.
Secondary
It was not flawless, with a couple lapses against Devon Achane in the run game and Upton Stout allowing two long completions. But Stout also flew around and played with intense effort all game long. Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir are great in coverage. And I already mentioned the safety duo. The operation on the backend of the 49ers defense is clean.
Veteran pass catchers
I brought up Kittle still looking good, which is a massive relief. But Mike Evans is still a weapon in Year 13. He can win against soft zones, sideline man coverage, and on every 3rd down. Brock Purdy has a new safety blanket. And Deebo Samuel is more than a contributing player. All good things to see.
Gracen Halton
The rookie 4th rounder has solidified his spot as DT2. Barely above 290lbs, he's not a bonafide run stopper. But he's capable of taking on bigger offensive lineman and still winning reps. And, along with Osa Odighizuwa, Halton is a breath of fresh air with his athleticism and rush ability as an interior player.
Keion White
He can line up at all spots on the defensive line. He's very hard to move in the run game, as he's listed at over 280lbs. White is often able to control the tackle lined up in front of him, and is overall a solid rusher. He had a sack against Miami, and was in the backfield on a few other occasions as well.
Cons
Injuries
See report at the end of article. But they are piling up at WR and on the defensive line. The 49ers already did not want Evans and Deebo to have full-time workloads, but the WR3 is currently Jacob Cowing. And the second set of DEs on the field are Ogbo Okoronkwo and Khalid Kareem, with only three healthy DTs rostered.
The run game
It returned to it's 2025 ways of inefficiency, although the best run of the day did get wiped out by a suspect holding call. The 49ers struggled to consistently block the second level of Miami's defense, it felt as though there was always one guy unaccounted for. Now, is that the offensive line failing to climb, or a skill guy having an incredibly tough assignment? Regardless, it results in rushing lanes being clogged quickly, just like last season.
Nose tackle
CJ West is not a consistent player at the moment. He had some good reps, but nose tackles have a very specific job that does not allow for this many lapses. The 49ers ran a fair amount of 5 man fronts, and West was exclusively the nose. With one less player at the second level, the 49ers need a guy who can either provide an elite anchor, or two-gap effectively. West can not do either.
The 49ers did what they were supposed to against a team like Miami, but it was good to see regardless. It was also good to see the young players on defense maintaining their roles.
Sigle, Stout, Green holding down the secondary, and Jaden Dugger still looking good in his role at linebacker.
Dugger's reps went down a bit, as Raheem Morris rolled out 5-man fronts with Romello Height as the stand-up edge, going with five true defensive linemen. But Dugger played well in his snaps.
The youth on the defensive line has had mixed results, but the 49ers are 2-0 and the young guys are getting reps. An overall positive.
With injuries at WR, I would like to see Cowing get the extra snaps, rather than a KhaDarel Hodge or other veteran receiver. Let's see what Cowing's speed can do for this offense, even in spurts.
Injuries
49ers:
WR Demarcus Robinson left with an ankle injury and did not return.
CB Jack Jones left with a foot issue but returned to the game.
EDGE Romello Height left with a hand injury but returned to the game.
DT James Thompson Jr left with an ankle injury and did not return.
WR Mike Evans left with a hip injury and did not return.
Dolphins:
The Dolphins did not provide a postgame injury update.
DE Robert Beal Jr left the game with a hamstring issue, via the broadcast.
San Francisco exits their home opener with a record of 2-0!
Let me know your thoughts on the game against the Dolphins, what did you like and what do the 49ers (or Dolphins!) need to do better?
Leave a comment below, or go to by Twitter/X, @GridironGoldM_!
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