The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: 5 Takeaways from Week 13
Kyle Shanahan's winning record went over .500 as a coach on Sunday. If all the coaches in NFL came from his tree, he would be nearly unbeaten in this league, as the 49ers steam rolled Mike McDaniel's Miami Dolphins. Here are the five takeaways from the 33-17 win.
1. What's next for Garoppolo?
Before the game, reports emerged that Jimmy Garoppolo might not be done with the 49ers yet, indicating a possible return in 2023. The day ended with bad news for Garoppolo, who is set to hit free agency next season, but worse for the 49ers as the team starts to make strides towards a possible Super Bowl appearance. Garoppolo left the game in the 1st quarter with a foot injury that will keep him out for the next 7-8 weeks.
Multiple injuries were part of why the 49ers decided to move on from Garoppolo, but this season's performance could still be enough to convince a 2023 return.
2. The wayward Tua
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa also left the game when the game was out of reach. He had an uncharacteristic outing against the No. 1 rated defense. The 49ers kept harassing the young quarterback all day. He started the game with a 10-second, 75-yard touchdown play but struggled after that. There were a lot of erratic throws that killed the momentum. The 49ers secondary was vulnerable on multiple occasions, but Tagovailoa did not find the accuracy to make good use of that. Tyreek Hill caught a deep throw in the 4th quarter to leave the contest wide open, and it was the last time Dolphins scored.
3. How relevant will Mr. Irrelevant be?
We all love Cinderella stories, and Brock Purdy just started one of his own. Forced to replace the injured Garoppolo while trailing 7-3, Purdy led the 49ers offense to score 23 more points. His two touchdown passes in the first half calmed the nerves around the stadium.
The third-stringer outplayed his much-established counterpart with 210 total yards consisting of 2 touchdowns and a single interception. After the game, Kyle Shanahan said there is no renewed hope of Trey Lance returning this season. As the defense holds continues to play lights out, Purdy has ample time to script his destiny for the remainder of the season. The 49ers quarterback drama just entered a new phase.
4. The best player on the team
Nick Bosa disrupted the Dolphins offense at will. Bosa is arguably the NFL defensive player of the year and the best player on the 49ers. He recorded three sacks; the last was a forced fumble that created a defensive touchdown.
After a catastrophic injury in 2020 which derailed the 49ers entire season, Bosa is on the verge of completing two strong seasons in a row. As long as Bosa stays healthy, the 49ers can win regardless of the quarterback.
5. Strong at the front, shaky at the back
Trent Sherfield scored a "knife through butter" 75-yard touchdown within the first 10 seconds of the game. It was a lapse from the defensive backfield. Later in the 4th quarter, Tyreek Hill again carved right through to close the gap. Talanoa Hufanga stepping up to the line of scrimmage during the Hill touchdown created an open field for lightning-fast Hill.
The Dolphins had more chances, but the erratic nature of Tua's day did not cause any trouble to the 49ers. The defense is strong up front but vulnerable at the back.
