If this three-game street journey is a defining take a look at, the Dolphins failed the primary query.
San Francisco didn’t simply beat the Dolphins, 33-17. It beat the Dolphins with a third-string quarterback and despatched it into per week of on the lookout for some solutions.
Here are 10 ideas on Sunday:
1. Player of the sport: Brock Purdy. You may give it to San Francisco defensive finish Nick Bosa along with his three sacks, however Purdy was an unknown rookie thrust in a giant sport when San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was damage. This is a press release about the way in which the Dolphins protection performed. Who had heard of Purdy earlier than Sunday? Maybe as Mr. Irrelevant because the final participant drafted? But the third-string San Francisco quarterback and 262nd draft choose performed effectively sufficient for the win. He wasn’t made uncomfortable in any respect by a Dolphins protection that offers up roughly twice the factors on the street as at residence. How it occurred Sunday was easy: They couldn’t get Purdy’s offense off the sector. He accomplished 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards, two TDs and an intercpetion. The 49ers offense had the ball 40 minutes and 34 seconds – and had 19 third-down makes an attempt (changing eight). Meanwhile …
2. Tua Tagovailoa seemed like 2021 Tua. This wasn’t the assured quarterback of a lot of this 12 months. He missed open receivers. He seemed uncomfortable within the pocket. You have to return to the Tennessee sport on the finish of final 12 months to see him off his sport this a lot. He threw back-to-back interceptions and, if one occurred when Jeff Harris slipped on a route, the opposite was a nasty throw. It occurs, particularly towards a top-rated protection. The Dolphins had beat up on bottom-third defenses of their five-game win streak – simply as they beat up undermanned groups for a lot of their seven-game win streak final season. To win a giant sport like Sunday, they wanted a number of issues however higher play at quarterback is the primary one.
3. AFC Playoff Race:
1. Buffalo (9-3 and atop the AFC East).
2. Kansas City (9-3, atop the AFC West).
3. Baltimore (8-4, atop AFC Central).
4. Tennessee (7-5, atop AFC South).
5. Cincinnati (8-4, Wild Card No. 1)
6. Miami (8-4, Wild Card No. 2).
7. New York Jets (7-4, Wild Card No. 3).
Bottom-line: The Dolphin sport at Buffalo on Dec. 18 is taking up added significance in its hope for the AFC East title. It at all times appeared they wanted that sport. It’s change into a must-win if they need the divsiion title, a attainable bye and home-field playoff benefit.
4. Don’t say the absence of left sort out Terron Armstead can’t be overcome. When the Dolphins signed him final low season, they needed to plan who would transfer in for him when he bought damage. Armstead hasn’t performed a full season in his 10-year profession and performed about half the sport (18) the previous two years. So if you happen to’re going to signal such a well being concern to massive cash, you’d higher have a back-up plan. Beyond that, groups lose left tackles on a regular basis. The Bills performed an hurting back-up left sort out of their win towards New England on Thursday. The Jets, Titans and Chargers misplaced star left tackles early this season. Armstead is an anchor of this line. The actual downside Sunday was …
5. Nick Bosa is enjoying at a Defensive Player of the Year stage. He had three sacks on Sunday and 5 quarterback hits Sunday. Two sacks have been within the first half and the third compelled a fumble that was run again for a 49er landing to make it the ultimate, 33-17. The NFL, for all its nuances, is a sport of matchups. Bosa labored towards each Dolphins tackles, Brandon Shell and Greg Little. One sack, although, got here when fullback Alec Ingold after which operating again Raheem Mostert have been the 2 blockers on him. That’s not a superb scheme towards a dominant cross rusher. Bosa now has 14.5 sacks to guide the league. As far as Sunday, teammate Azeez Al-Shaair “That’s just Bosa,” Al-Shaair mentioned. “He changes the game all the time. He was hitting on all cylinders today.”
6. Big Brass Ones Award goes to Mike McDaniel. Fourth-and-one on the Dolphins 19. Ten minutes left. San Francisco up 23-17. And he goes for it? Full disclosure: This didn’t appear like a sensible name towards the league’s No. 1 protection. But one thing extra appeared at work right here within the massive image. This was a coach making a press release to Tua Tagovailoa of belief greater than anything. Tagovailoa struggled for a big stretch this sport and right here was McDaniel doing what he has in different methods since arriving – confirming his full confidence within the quarterback. Tagovailoa accomplished a first-down cross to Hill to present the Dolphins some non permanent hope within the day.
7. How does Tyreek Hill nonetheless get wi-i-ide open deep? He retains enjoying like essentially the most valauble participant on this group. He had 9 catches for 146 yards – or roughly half the receiving years (295). With Jaylen Waddle leaving the sport, that made Hill’s sport all of the extra vital. It wasn’t simply the numbers, both. Trailing 23-10, he caught a 14-yard cross for a primary down, then the 45-yard landing through which he bought so open behind the 49ers protection. On the fourth down play McDaniel referred to as, Hill caught the primary down cross. He’s been the Dolphins greatest participant most each sport and he was once more Sunday.
8. Quote of the day: Deebo Samuel, requested about former teammate Rhaemm Mostert’s feedback concerning the Dolphins having higher expertise, mentioned “I thought they had the best talent … oh, my bad.”
9. Quick hits:
* Zack Sieler retains being an under-the-radar standout this season.
* Linebacker Duke Riley on Christian McCaffrey wasn’t a profitable proposition because the 49ers confirmed early.
* Here comes Cincinnati. It beat Tennessee and Kansas City in successive weeks and may simply be the most effective AFC group by the tip of the month.
10. Dolphins at Chargers. The three-game street journey strikes to Los Angeles – and the Chargers show all groups on this stretch aren’t equal. Their protection entered Sunday ranked twenty eighth in factors allowed (26 a sport). And their offense? Depends on their well being. It ranks thirteenth however Justin Herbert has misplaced Pro Bowl left sort out Rashawn Slater for the 12 months and was with out the next gamers Sunday: heart Corey Linsley (concussion protocol), proper sort out Trey Pipkins III (knee), receivers Mike Williams (ankle) on Sunday towards the Los Angeles Raiders. Keenan Allen performed his fifth sport of the 12 months. Who performs subsequent Sunday for each groups will go a methods towards figuring what may occur.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com