49ers-Dolphins Beat Writer Cross Examination
AllDolphins Publisher Alain Poupart and I sent each other five questions this week. Here's what I asked him about the Dolphins.
GC: What is the Dolphins' biggest strength?
AP: That’s a great question because the truth is the Dolphins haven’t done one thing consistently well this season on offense or defense. In truth, the best area of the team has been the kicking game because Jason Sanders hasn’t missed a field goal attempt (9-for-9 and every single one right down the middle) and punter Matt Haack has been outstanding as well. If it needs to be on offense or defense, I’d have to say probably the connection between Ryan Fitzpatrick and DeVante Parker. The two really have been on the same page pretty much every game.
GC: What is the Dolphins' biggest weakness?
AP: The one that really jumps out is the pass defense, particularly after bad outings against both Josh Allen of the Bills and Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. The Dolphins have really missed free agent pick-up Byron Jones, but it looks like he’s on track to play Sunday after missing the past two games (plus almost all of another one) with a groin injury. On offense, the one consistent problem has been the inability to create a lot of holes in the running game.
GC: Why is Ryan Fitzpatrick playing instead of Tua Tagovailoa and is that the right choice?
AP: It’s pretty simple actually: Fitzpatrick is a better quarterback than Tua Tagovailoa at this point. As I wrote in a column this week, if the Dolphins believed Tua was ready, they would put him in the lineup. Flores said this week that Tua has checked all the medical boxes, and if his hip still was an issue, it certainly wouldn’t make sense to have him on the active roster. It’s painful to the Tua train passengers to watch Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert already being starters, but Flores said what those two guys have done is irrelevant. Of course, we haven’t seen him in practice since the team’s intrasquad scrimmage Aug. 29, but he pretty much looked during practices open to the media like a typical rookie quarterback who needed some time before being ready for a full-time role.
GC: What kind of contributions has Matt Breida made and what can be expected from him in the future?
AP: Breida’s contributions so far this season actually have been very limited, even though he’s still done more than fellow offseason acquisition Jordan Howard. Both of them have taken a back seat to 2019 seventh-round pick Myles Gaskin, which certainly wasn’t expected when training camp started. Breida actually had his best game of the season last Sunday against Seattle when he was a factor in the passing game. I would expect him to be a steady contributor as a change-of-pace back moving forward, though I don’t think it’s realistic to expect him to become the main guy at running back.
GC: Pick a winner.
AP: The Dolphins have played better than their 1-3 record because they put themselves in position to win every game, though their inability to make plays in the fourth quarter is what’s gotten them to where they are. That inability to finish games is reflective of a team that, while improved dramatically over last season, still lacks the personnel to win a lot of games. So my expectation would be for another close game and another disappointing loss for the Dolphins after watching the 49ers make the plays in the fourth quarter.
Watch the full interview here.
Here are the questions Alain asked me, and here are my answers.
AP: How have the 49ers managed to stay afloat through all these injuries?
GC: They’ve played two winless teams -- the Jets and the Giants -- and beaten both of them. So that helps. But the other thing the 49ers have going for them is their seemingly endless depth. Every time a player gets injured, the 49ers have some late-round pick or undrafted guy who has been on the practice squad and gets an opportunity to play and just crushes it. They had nine starters missing two weeks ago and still beat the Giants, which speaks to how well the 49ers coaching staff develops players. The 49ers might be better at developing players than any other franchise.
AP: What’s the sense of confidence that Jimmy Garoppolo is capable of coming through on the biggest stage?
GC: I believe the 49ers still have confidence in Garoppolo, but have questions about him, too. And how could you not have questions about him? He flopped in the Super Bowl, he’s almost 29 and he still has fewer than two seasons worth of starts to his name. Who is he? Is he even durable? If he misses a few games every season, he’s not a franchise quarterback. The burden is on Garoppolo to prove what he is. And he has to prove himself now. And he won’t have the same defense he had last season -- he’ll have to be the engine of the team. And at the end of the season, the 49ers will reevaluate him and decide if he’s still worth the gigantic contract they pay him.
AP: Why is Kyle Shanahan’s offense so consistently successful?
GC: He’d probably tell you it’s his scheme. And his scheme consistently produces yards. He does a good job of making his run plays look exactly like his play-action plays initially, so he confuses opposing defenses. He also uses lots of pre-snap motion, which confuses defenses, too. All this confusion leads to big plays for the 49ers offense. But historically, Shanahan’s scheme isn’t particularly successful on third down or in the red zone. That’s where he needs elite players.
AP: How have the 49ers compensated for the loss of Nick Bosa?
GC: They lost Dee Ford too -- he’s on Injured Reserve with a back injury. And they lost DeForest Buckner -- he signed with the Colts. So the 49ers’ best remaining pass rusher is Arik Armstead, a defensive tackle who has to play defensive end now for the 49ers because Bosa and Ford are out. Armstead is playing well, but he’s not enough, so defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has called lots of blitzes, especially on third down.
AP: What kind of contributions have been made by Dion Jordan and Jamar Taylor, and what can be expected of them moving forward?
GC: Dion Jordan has replaced Ford as the 49ers’ designated speed rusher off the bench. Jordan isn’t half the player Ford is, but the 49ers desperately need a speed rusher -- their other pass rushers are defensive tackles. So Jordan has a role on this defense, and he recorded a sack two weeks ago against the Giants. And Taylor now is the 49ers nickelback because starter K’Waun Williams is on Injured Reserve with an ACL sprain. And Taylor recorded a sack last week against the Eagles. So the two former Dolphins have played well initially for the 49ers, and will need to continue to play well because the 49ers are depending on them.
Watch the full interview below:
