A Tale of Two Teams: Miami and San Francisco Heading Into Week 2
The 0-1 Miami Dolphins stayed on the West Coast following their Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and will face the 1-0 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. While there were some bright spots and some low points last Sunday, the Dolphins will have a much tougher task with one of the better teams in the league in the Niners.
Dolphins and Niners Polar Opposites
There are a few glaring differences between these teams that create quite a paradox in the matchup. The Dolphins have the NFL’s youngest roster, while the 49ers have the oldest. Another interesting scenario is the fact that San Francisco has 54 combined Pro Bowl selections on its team, while Miami has just one. It’s the biggest difference in this statistic in a single-game matchup since 1997, according to Doug Clawson of CBS Sports.
Miami’s youthful team will face a trio of potential Hall of Famers on San Francisco’s offense in running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end George Kittle. They will also have to deal with one of the better duos in the league on defense in pass rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.
RB De’Von Achane Needs Much More Work
Head coach Jeff Hafley will be challenged to prepare his team better than he did against the Raiders. Also, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will have to do a better job with his play-calling and utilization of superstar running back De’Von Achane. Miami’s centerpiece had only 15 touches in the game, with 11 carries and four receptions. This is half the amount of work that most expected from the team’s top offensive threat.
Slowik needs to give Achane more rushing attempts and show more of a dedication to the run. Rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor had a very solid first game. Achane should be put in more situations to run behind Proctor and left tackle Patrick Paul. Additionally, Miami should focus more on utilizing 12 personnel with multiple tight ends, including rookie Will Kacmarek.
Quarterback Malik Willis had ups and downs but showed the dual-threat aspect of his game with 39 rushing yards and a touchdown run. He was 15 of 27 passing for 220 yards with an interception and was sacked five times. He will have to get rid of the ball sooner and be more consistent. Willis made just his seventh career start and will be trying to prove he could be a team’s franchise quarterback.
From a receiving standpoint, perhaps the top bright spot was rookie Caleb Douglas. He was fantastic in his NFL debut. Not only did he lead all NFL rookies in receptions with five and receiving yards with 94, but he also leads the league in separation score at 5.28. Fellow rookie Chris Bell made one catch on two targets for 25 yards. He is still ramping up from the ACL injury he suffered in November while at Louisville.
Rookie LB and Safety Trio Defensive Bright Spots for Miami
Defensively, the Dolphins have a gem and potential Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate in linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The second-round pick from April’s draft led Miami with 14 tackles, which was the most by a Dolphins rookie since Zach Thomas in 1996.
Hafley also got a solid performance from the safety room despite a miscue or two. The trio of Zayne Anderson, Dante Trader Jr. and rookie Michael Taaffe showed that it could be an overachieving unit this season. Trader and Taaffe each recorded an interception, and Anderson was solid in coverage as well.
The Dolphins also will have to do something to generate a pass rush, which was virtually nonexistent against Las Vegas. Third-year pass rusher Chop Robinson did not have a particularly good game and will not play on Sunday due to a concussion. With this already an area of concern, somebody on Miami’s roster will have to step up and put pressure on San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy.
In a season that is expected to be full of growing pains, the Dolphins could show grit and progress with a competitive showing in San Francisco. However, as 13.5-point underdogs, this game could be a tough one for a team that is in just Week 2 of yet another rebuild.
