3 burning questions about the San Francisco 49ers ahead of clash with the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers will face off in what is effectively a last-gasp playoff elimination game between two storied franchises who have heavily underwhelmed in 2024. The 49ers have been affected by some significant injuries in 2024, with the most notable being Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk, who are both on injured […]
The Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers will face off in what is effectively a last-gasp playoff elimination game between two storied franchises who have heavily underwhelmed in 2024.
The 49ers have been affected by some significant injuries in 2024, with the most notable being Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk, who are both on injured reserve and out for the season.
However, there's a lot more at play here surrounding the Niners' struggles, so I caught up with A to Z Sports Niners' beat writer Nicholas McGee to find out more about San Francisco.
1) Seeing the 49ers at 6-8 and in the basement of the NFC West is, to put it mildly from afar, shocking. Obviously, the losses of Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk have been very big, but what are some other reasons the season has gone the way it has?
There are multitude of reasons you can point to with the 49ers and this disappointing season. The injury attrition you alluded to is definitely the headliner, but the red zone offense has cratered, and the special teams has been an absolute disaster. Additionally, with Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga missed for most of the year and Javon Hargrave going down in Week 3, the defense just hasn't had the same ability to impose its will on opponents. The consequence of those issues, combined with a season for Brock Purdy that has been more uneven than in 2023, is a failure to finish games that has dogged this team throughout the year. Time and again, this team just hasn't executed when it's mattered most in 2024, and that's why they're heading for a rare season without playoff football.
2) The Dolphins have played good football at home since Tua Tagovailoa's return from injured reserve. However, they have had to transition in 2024 from an offense that has hit on chunk play after chunk play to one that's had to work their way down the field with more extended drives and quicker/shorter plays. How could San Francisco's defense give this Miami offense problems?
The 49ers have allowed the fewest passing plays of 20 yards or more this season (28), so in theory this should be a good matchup for them against Miami, but that's all predicated on their success in stopping the run. San Francisco has not done that with any consistency in 2024, and if the Dolphins can run the ball, it'll be a long day for the 49er defense. However, the Niners have a lot of young talent in the secondary and, with Nick Bosa returning and the defensive line getting better production from the likes of Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos of late, there's a clear path towards the Niners dominating the line of scrimmage and winning with their classic formula of rushing four in front of zone defense.
3) On the other side of the ball, what is the status of San Francisco's offense with all the injuries at the skill position? Miami has been adequate at stopping the run (T-10 in ypc allowed), but they've been pretty good against the pass this season (T-7 in ypa allowed). How does San Francisco move the ball and score points on Sunday?
The run game will be in a much better place to succeed if rookie Isaac Guerendo can shake off a hamstring injury. Still, the Niners did not run the ball well at all against the Rams and, with the offense in its current state, San Francisco's best route to success is through the air with an emphasis on two pass-catchers, George Kittle and Jauan Jennings. They have been by far the most reliable weapons on this attack and, if the 49ers can engineer mismatches with Kittle while also allowing Jennings plenty of opportunities to win with his size and underrated route-running craft at the X position, Purdy will be in a good spot for a bounce-back game. After trying to force feed Deebo Samuel last week, it's time to focus on what has actually been working.
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