It’s December and the stakes begin to rise in good half as a result of the Dolphins are enjoying video games with consequence. The different half is San Francisco is a prime opponent on Sunday. Here are 5 methods the Dolphins can win:
1. Play to your strengths. The 49ers are the highest dashing protection within the league. They’re the Eleventh-ranked cross protection. That matches up properly to the Dolphins strengths being the velocity of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and Tua Tagovailoa’s capability to seek out the proper receiver rapidly and precisely. San Francisco performed one prime and wholesome offense this yr and Kansas City shredded its secondary (defensive finish Nick Bosa was damage that sport). So they’ve largely overwhelmed up some lower-half offenses. The Dolphins have feasted on bottom-third defenses the previous 4 video games. Now they every go up in weight class. The query in Sunday’s matchup is whether or not the 49ers’ cornerbacks play tight on Dolphins receivers with the thought of taking away the short passes and letting their cross rush have an opportunity. Few groups have tried this, preferring zones and sitting their safeties deep (Houston within the antiquated Cover-Two final week). We’ll see the technique right here. The Dolphins, too, may attempt to run Jeff Wilson or Raheem Mostert some in opposition to their outdated crew to maintain San Francisco’s cross rushers trustworthy. But the energy is the energy. And throwing the ball will imply …
2. Helping Greg Little vs. Nick Bosa. If left deal with Terron Armstead is out with a pectoral damage (he’s listed as uncertain), this turns into the matchup of the sport. Of course, it gained’t actually be a mano-a-mano matchup. It will contain chips or double groups from tight finish Durham Smythe or fullback Alec Ingold. It will contain play-calling to maneuver away from Bosa – or not less than not expose Little in a matchup. Bosa is second within the league with 11.5 sacks this yr and has 55 quarterback pressures. The subsequent closest 49er has 33 quarterback pressures. So you go into Sunday game-planning to assist Little, who was each good at occasions and terrible at occasions in fill-in roles. Losing Armstead is hard. But good groups have overcome shedding left tackles – the Bills in opposition to New England on Thursday for one evening. Tennessee, the New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers misplaced their star left tackles early this season and stay within the playoff hunt. This is a loss the Dolphins needed to anticipate, too, contemplating he hadn’t performed a full yr in 9 seasons and performed solely 18 video games complete during the last two years. So the query is how ready are the Dolphins for this inevitable state of affairs.
3. Use information for small benefits. Who has the sting when either side know one another? San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner known as it, “like training camp,” watching movie of the Dolphins offense. These offenses are the same offenses with variations for his or her personnel. Mike McDaniel and Kyle Shanahan have historical past collectively courting again to Denver once they had been for Shanhanan’s dad, Mike. This goes past working in the identical offense for years. McDaniel used to dog-sit for Kyle Shanahan at occasions. They’re pals So they know one another effectively. McDaniel, too, went in opposition to 49s defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. It’s a little bit to say the Dolphins have a lot benefit right here, however contemplating they’ve totally different personnel in opposition to the 49ers system maybe McDaniel can finagle an edge with some designs.
4. Don’t sleep on Jimmy Garoppolo. Tagovailoa has 19 touchdowns, three interceptions and a league-leading 115.7 ranking. He’s the toast of the league proper now. Garoppolo has 16 landing, 4 interceptions and a fifth-place 103 ranking. He’s handled like a no one, a man the 49ers can’t wait to maneuver on from. And when you take a look at his post-season stats, you can also make the argument. But he’s helped San Francisco flip round its season this. While the 49ers offense ranks fifteenth in scoring, it’s put up 38 and 31 factors in two of the earlier 4 video games. Garoppolo has put up good numbers maybe partially as a result of they’ve not requested him to do an excessive amount of – the 49ers cross 31.4 occasions a sport, rating twenty third (the Dolphins rank tenth in cross makes an attempt a sport). Against the Rams and Cardinals, you say? Neither these groups’ statistical profiles are constructed in opposition to prime groups to date. That’s a part of why Sunday is such an enormous sport. Likewise …
5. Get the lead. Obvious, proper? The Dolphins don’t wish to fall behind and get right into a one-dimensional passing sport . The 49ers protection rank sixth in sacking quaterbacks 8.29 % of passes. That, too, may enable the Eleventh-ranked San Francisco dashing offense to play a much bigger function. Christian McCaffrey hasn’t discovered his footing on this offense but. Don’t let him this sport. By comparability, if the Dolphins get the lead, Garoppolo shall be requested to do greater than the 49ers usually ask him to do – and the Dolphins unsteady blitz might be simpler.
Predicition: 49ers 28, Dolphins 24. The Dolphins can have their probabilities, and this might be a loss that claims good issues about them. But enjoying on the highway makes the 49er the decide this sport.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com