Dolphins-49ers Week 13 Complete Observations

Here is what caught our eye in the course of the Miami Dolphins’ 33-17 loss in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.

— We’ll begin with the inactive listing, which was highlighted by Terron Armstead (toe/pec) becoming a member of Austin Jackson (ankle) on the sideline. Although that should not have come as a shock, it was disappointing nonetheless. Additionally inactive after being on the harm report in the course of the week had been QB Teddy Bridgewater (knee) and RB Myles Gaskin (shoulder/ankle). The opposite inactives had been CB Noah Igbinoghene, WR Erik Ezukanma and TE Hunter Lengthy.

— Raheem Mostert returned to the lineup to provide the Dolphins a trio of operating backs who all performed for the 49ers at one level.

— As anticipated, the beginning offensive line had Greg Little at left and Brandon Shell at proper sort out.

FIRST QUARTER

— Wow, speak about beginning quick! The Dolphins misplaced the coin toss for under the second time all season, get the opening kickoff and, BAM, Tua hits Trent Sherfield with a fast move out of the slot and Sherfied takes benefit of a nasty angle by a 49ers security to race 75 yards for a landing.

— Attention-grabbing to notice that newcomer Justin Zimmer begins on protection when the 49ers get the ball.

— The 49ers got here again with a subject aim drive with a few large performs and errors by the protection.

— On the primary third-down state of affairs, Brandon Aiyuk acquired previous Xavien Howard on a crossing sample to catch a 23-yard move.

— Christian McCaffrey had a 33-yard achieve when he went out on the correct facet and simply acquired previous linebacker Duke Riley as Riley misplaced his stability when he tried to bump the operating again.

— The Dolphins restricted the harm when Jerome Baker got here in free on third-and-6 from the Miami 19 to shortly get to Garoppolo and Jaelan Phillips helped carry him down for the sack. This seemed like a miscue by the 49ers.

— The Dolphins’ second drive did not work out almost as properly.

— On first down, there seemed to be some mix-up between Tua and Tyreek Hill with the outcome a throw manner off the mark.

— Tua went over the center for Sherfield on third-and-6, however linebacker Fred Warner acquired a deep drop and acquired his hand on the contact move to knock it away.

— Whereas the Dolphins offensive possession was occurring, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off into the locker room with a left foot harm.

— After the Dolphins gave up the ball, their particular groups failed once more, giving up a 20-yard punt return that allowed the 49ers to start out their second drive at their very own 

— Purdy is a rookie, however the 49ers offense did not look vastly completely different with him within the lineup and he transformed his first third-down state of affairs when McCaffrey beat Riley once more, this time within the open subject, to catch a 7-yard move.

— After Zach Sieler pressured Purdy into an incompletion and Howard had a pleasant move breakup to pressure a third-and-10, the drive was saved alive when Kader Kohou went over the again of Aiyuk earlier than the ball acquired to him for a 14-yard DPI.

— After two McCaffrey run gained 12 yards for a first-and-goal on the 3, the protection let fullback Kyle Juszczyk broad open after he acquired out into the flat — Jevon Holland and Kohou seemed like the 2 closest defenders — for a straightforward 49ers landing and a 10-7 San Francisco lead.

— The Dolphins’ third possession produced a second consecutive three-and-out and this one was the results of two missed throws by Tua, a floater down the center to Waddle after which a brief hop to the left. On each events, the move safety — a significant concern coming into the sport — was superb.

— The third 49ers possession featured a tripping penalty in opposition to Melvin Ingram that gave San Francisco a primary down, and it was a name that simply may have been ignored as Ingram was engaged with a blocker and McCaffrey bumped into his leg — although Ingram saved his leg off the bottom, which doubtless is what drew the flag.

— In any occasion, the drive ended when Christian Wilkins simply beat a blocker and met McCaffrey within the backfield to drop him for a 3-yard loss on third-and-2 from midfield.

— Tua started the following Dolphins possession by overthrowing Waddle down the sphere, however got here proper again with a pleasant throw to tight finish Durham Smythe over the center for a 19-yard achieve.

— After fullback Alec Ingold dropped a move thrown barely forward of him (however clearly catchable), the Dolphins despatched Tyreek Hill in movement to the correct facet of the formation and he was capable of catch a move thrown behind him for a straightforward 18-yard achieve as the primary quarter ended with the Dolphins having a first-and-10 at their very own 47 trailing 10-7.

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SECOND QUARTER

— The drive ended with a subject aim by Jason Sanders from 43 yards out, with the large play a 17-yard completion down the sphere to Hill, the play that is been so profitable for the Dolphins all season.

— The drive had a disappointing ending, although, with the questionable resolution to have Tua drop again to move on a third-and-1 that was extra like third-and-half a yard. After Ingold and operating again Jeff Wilson Jr. each didn’t decelerate Nick Bosa, he dropped Tua for a sack that pressured the sphere aim try.

— The Dolphins protection pressured a three-and-out on the following sequence with a really aggressive look.

— Zach Sieler stopped Deebo Samuel after no achieve on a first-down run and Phillips’ stress pressured a fast throw on third-and-5 with Keion Crossen throughout Samuel to knock away the ball.

— The Dolphins’ subsequent sequence produced a lightning-quick three-and-out after three straight incompletions.

— Whereas there was a bit extra stress on Tua on this sequence, that did not account for the three incompletions as a result of his first-down move was astray and Jeff Wilson Jr. didn’t give you a troublesome however makeable catch on second down.

— The 49ers threatened to take the lead on their subsequent possession, however the Dolphins protection got here up with a few large performs.

— Two performs after Jordan Mason reeled off a 19-yard run, Andrew Van Ginkel sacked him on second all the way down to ultimately pressure a fourth-and-4 from the Miami 39.

— After the 49ers determined to go for the primary down (rightly so), Xavien Howard got here up together with his first choose of the season after he had tight protection on Aiyuk. Contemplating he made the interception on the Dolphins 19, Howard really would have been higher off simply knocking the ball down.

— The Dolphins’ subsequent drive started with an 18-yard completion to River Cracraft when Tua did a great job of scanning the sphere, however he later overthrew Hill deep down the center and was sacked on third-and-8 when Nick Bosa looped on the line and got here in unblocked shortly up the center.

— The 49ers acquired the ball across the two-minute warning and moved into Dolphins territory when Purdy made an ideal throw down the center to George Kittle for 19 yards with Jaelan Phillips bearing down on him with a transparent path from the snap.

— Xavien Howard was on the improper finish of two large performs later within the drive, first lacking Jauan Jennings within the open subject on a 19-yard achieve after which getting flagged for an apparent DPI for a 4-yard achieve.

— That was adopted by an 18-yard achieve by McCaffrey on a display and on third-and-goal from the three, McCaffrey scored on a 3-yard catch with 4 seconds left within the half for a 17-10 halftime lead and big momentum heading into the second half when the 49ers get the ball first.

THIRD QUARTER

— The second half begins on a great be aware for the Dolphins, who permit one first down however then pressure a punt after Zach Sieler pressures Purdy into an incompletion and Melvin Ingram will get a sack on third down after preliminary stress from Bradley Chubb.

— After beginning their drive at their 38, the Dolphins shortly get into scoring place with a 19-yard completion from Tua to Tyreek Hill, mixed with a roughing-the-passer penalty on Nick Bosa for hitting Tua low.

— Issues go badly south from there, although.

— After Robert Jones will get flagged for a false begin, Robert Hunt will get referred to as for a doubtful holding penalty to wipe out what would have been an 18-yard run by Raheem Mostert.

— Now going through a first-and-25 from the 49ers 43, Tua will get fast stress when Hunt will get beat by Arik Armstead and a mix-up results in an interception. Jeff Wilson Jr. goes out right into a sample, by no means turns round to search for the ball, and worse stumbles because the ball arrives, permitting security Jimmy Ward a transparent path to leap and catch Tua’s throw.

— sort out within the open subject by Jevon Holland in opposition to McCaffrey after the Dolphins despatched six at Purdy on third-and-3 forces a fourth-and-1 on the Miami 25 and Zach Sieler utterly jammed up the center and stoned Purdy, however he then spun to the correct and was capable of achieve 2 yards. Replays present Eric Rowe failing to come back as much as the road to fill the hole after Sieler’s preliminary cease.

— The following play is the loopy one the place the Dolphins sniff out an end-around and have 4 gamers (Holland, Phillips, Wilkins and Chubb) surrounding Samuel some 8 yards behind the road of scrimmage. Samuel someway manages to flee the group by getting low and breaks by earlier than Elandon Roberts tackles him for a 4-yard loss.

— The drive ends with a 43-yard subject aim by Robbie Gould that makes it 20-10.

— On the very subsequent snap, Tua rolls proper however throws behind Hill, who deflects the ball into the air and into the ready arms of 49ers DB Deommodore Lenoir for a second interception in two passes.

— The protection forces a three-and-out, together with a move breakup by Rowe, to pressure a subject aim that makes it 23-10 however retains it a two-score sport.

—  The disappointing third quarter ends, appropriately sufficient, with Sherfield getting referred to as for a false begin, making a first-and-15 from the Miami 36 to start out the fourth quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

— No downside. Tua completes a 19-yard move on the primary play after the protection provides him an enormous cushion downfield and turns round.

— On the following play, Hill scores on a 45-yard landing when he runs a deep publish and simply will get contained in the cornerback as the security strikes as much as defend Sherfield operating beneath. From there, it is a straightforward pitch-and-catch for Tua and Tyreek and the Dolphins instantly are inside one rating at 23-17.

— The protection does its job once more on the following sequence, forcing a punt after San Francisco will get one first down.

— This turns into the important thing possession of the sport and it will get attention-grabbing shortly with the Dolphins going through a fourth-and-1 at their 19 after a downfield completion to Sherfield will get overturned after the 49ers problem. There’s 9:59 left when Mike McDaniel decides to go for it and his gamble pays off when Tua hits Hill for a 9-yard achieve on a play the place he additionally may have gotten the primary down by operating for it or just thrown a brief dump-off move to fullback Alec Ingold, who was broad open past the sticks.

— An 8-yard run, Mostert’s longest of the sport, strikes the ball to the San Francisco 44-yard line and issues are wanting good for the Dolphins.

— Issues stall, although, when on third-and-2, the road permits an excessive amount of penetration and rookie Drake Jackson knocks down Tua’s move, forcing one other fourth-down state of affairs.

— The Dolphins seem to transform with a 3-yard completion to Mike Gesicki close to the sideline, however the 49ers problem the ruling once more — and are profitable once more. And whereas the Sherfield play earlier within the drive won’t have been completely clear lower, this one positive appeared to be, although McDaniel and WR coach Wes Welker each had been yelling on the sideline. It was a great effort by Gesicki on the catch, however a greater effort by linebacker Dre Greenlaw in closing on the tight finish after he made his out lower, and Tua threw the ball barely behind Gesicki, permitting Greenlaw to have an effect on the play.

— Nonetheless solely down by six, the protection wanted one other cease with precisely 6 minutes left, however it did not come.

— San Francisco transformed a third-and-1 with a fast out move to George Kittle with Jerome Baker in protection.

— Deebo Samuel acquired one other first down when he took a pitch outdoors as a operating again and sprinted 9 yards to the Dolphins 41.

— Then got here possibly the decisive blow, McCaffrey benefiting from an enormous gap opened for a cutback and operating 30 yards to the Miami 11.

— At that time, solely 3:05 remained after Miami referred to as its first timeout.

— The 49ers did not make it straightforward on Gould to kick what basically can be a game-clinching subject aim, shedding 3 yards on a run, 8 yards on a sack by Chubb and 10 yards on a holding penalty on Kittle, however Gould got here by anyway with a 48-yard kick that made it 26-17 with 2:03 left.

— Out of timeouts and needing two scores, the Dolphins confronted a virtually insurmountable problem and any considered a miraculous comeback ended on the primary play of the following drive when Bosa beat Brandon Shell with an inside transfer and knocked the ball away from Tua as he was able to unleash what gave the impression to be a deep throw. Greenlaw picked up the unfastened ball and ran it in from 23 yards out for the ultimate landing of the sport.

— Skylar Thompson is available in to exchange Tua on the following drive, not that the Dolphins have any form of likelihood. However Tua has gotten bent backward twice already and there isn’t any sense having him in there in a misplaced trigger. 

— There’s additionally no sense in fretting about Thompson throwing a choose downfield when he must attempt to make one thing, something occur actually quick.

— It is kneel-down time for the 49ers after the choose, and with that the Dolphins’ profitable streak is over at 5 video games. This was a tough sport throughout for Miami, however not one that ought to trigger panic both contemplating the group’s report continues to be an excellent 8-4 after the 33-17 loss.

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