Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is a former 49ers assistant coach, which should make for an interesting matchup between two teams that are familiar with each other’s tendencies and thought processes.
- Miami is 1-4 when playing without QB Tua Tagovailoa and 5-4 when they are playing with him.
- San Francisco’s once-potent offense has scored 10 points or less in three of their last four games.
- Miami WR Jaylen Waddle suffered a knee injury in Week 15 and his status for this game is now in question.
- The Dolphins have a slim chance to make the playoffs if they win their three remaining games and get some help from elsewhere.
How san Francisco Will Try To Win ::
The 49ers have had quite a ride in 2024 and not in a good way. The injuries continue to pile up and they seemingly can’t get out of their own way in many instances. Technically the 49ers are still alive for a playoff berth despite their 6-8 record. However, they lost both matchups against the Rams and are only 1-4 within the division. Basically, they would need to win their last three games and hit a 12-team parlay in some other games just to have a chance. Four of their eight losses were decided in the last two minutes and even winning one or two of those games would have them squarely in the race for the division. Clearly, the main story of the 2024 49ers season is the injuries, but a close second would be the missed opportunities.
The 49ers tend to run a methodical and run-based offense that focuses heavily on the running game. They have unfortunately been playing without star tackle Trent Williams, who is battling an ankle injury and a horrible off-the-field personal situation. That has hurt their rushing efficiency, but they’ve also been losing RBs at a record rate this year. Their top 4 RBs from the summer: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, and Isaac Guerendo are all out at this point. The first three are done for the season, while Guerendo is likely to miss this week with a hamstring injury after looking great in two games as a starter. Patrick Taylor Jr. is the next man up at this point, while practice squad call-ups Israel Abanikanda and Ke’Shawn Vaughn may mix in a bit. When you get this deep in the depth chart, is there a huge difference from one player to the next? Hard to say. All of this is to say that San Francisco is less likely to be able to lean heavily on their running game and efficiency this week than they are used to.
The matchup this week is against a defense that is also hanging on to their playoff hopes by a thread. Miami’s defense has underwhelmed this season but has had some bright moments as well. Over the past three weeks, they have allowed over 25 points per game and if the 49ers offense actually shows up this week they could be able to find some success. With the running game likely left as average at best, the offense will rely heavily on QB Brock Purdy to carry them. His target tree should be relatively condensed with TE George Kittle and WRs Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel also highly involved. Kittle has been one of the best tight ends in the league and Jennings has been arguably the biggest bright spot on the roster, but Deebo’s 2024 season has been wildly disappointing. None of the RBs on the roster at this point are especially strong in the passing game and San Francisco has not targeted rookie WR Ricky Pearsall at a high rate (only three targets per game despite playing a high snap rate). The 49ers are going to show up to play in this game and their means of moving the ball will be relatively concentrated. While they won’t simply ignore the running game, we can feel confident that they will have to throw the ball more than they would in most weeks.
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