Dolphins Dominate 49ers: Instant Reaction
On the same day they found out their 2020 schedule was being shaken around starting next week, the Miami Dolphins took care of business in their originally scheduled game Sunday.
After disappointing losses against New England, Buffalo and Seattle, the Dolphins left no doubt in defeating the defending NFC champion 49ers in San Francisco.
The 43-17 victory that moved the Dolphins' record to 2-3 on the season was as convincing as it was surprising.
It was total team effort, with standout performances throughout the Dolphins roster.
As it did in the victory against Jacksonville in Week 3, it started with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was nothing short of brilliant at the end of a week where there was a lot of discussion as to whether his time as the starter was coming to an end because, you know, many fans want Tua Tagovailoa in there.
Fitzpatrick was on target from the start, compiling a 150.0 passer rating in the first half and ending up with a 154.5.
We also saw the re-emergence of wide receiver Preston Williams, who had a tough first quarter of the season.
Williams had a 47-yard catch in the second quarter and that became the longest offensive play of the season for the Dolphins.
But Williams, who ended up having his first 100-yard game of the season, didn't have that distinction for long because Fitzpatrick later connected on a 70-yard pass with tight end Mike Gesicki.
Not that it mattered in the big picture, but the player Gesicki ran by to get open was Jamar Taylor, who never panned out in Miami after being a second-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft.
Rookie second-round pick Robert Hunt made his first NFL start at right tackle with Jesse Davis moving to left tackle, and the offensive line was good enough to allow the Dolphins to amass 281 total yards in the first half.
The Dolphins defense, meanwhile, made 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's return to the lineup a miserable one.
In the first half alone, the Dolphins sacked Garoppolo three times and picked him off twice — once by safety Bobby McCain and once by cornerback Xavien Howard.
The Dolphins didn't stop their onslaught in the second half, with linebacker Jerome Baker getting a sack and later forcing a fourth-down incompletion with heavy pressure on backup quarterback C.J. Beathard, who replaced Garoppolo at halftime.
Kicker Jason Sanders contributed to the victory with a second consecutive 5-for-5 performance on field goal attempt. Sanders hasn't missed yet on the season, and his performance is approaching Justin Tucker territory.
After San Francisco scored to cut the Miami lead to 30-14, the Dolphins answered with a touchdown drive that showed the kind of aggressive decision that wasn't there in Week 4 against Seattle.
How's this for aggressive?
The Dolphins called for a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line, and Clayton Fejedelem gained 1 yards after taking a direct snap at his up-back position.
On the next play, former 49ers running back Matt Breida gained 31 yards on a screen pass and two plays after that, Fitzpatrick threw a strike to Williams down the middle for a 32-yard touchdown right before he was hit by Taylor.
The Dolphins got a key defensive play in the fourth quarter that helped them build their 14-0 lead, a fourth-and-1 stop where Emmanuel Ogbah completely stood up the offensive lineman to allow Christian Wilkins to make first contact before he got help in bringing Jerick McKinnon down for no gain.
The Dolphins took complete control after San Francisco's first touchdown cut their lead to 14-7 when they responded with a touchdown drive that ended with a Fitzpatrick pass to DeVante Parker on a third-and-goal from the 22-yard line.
From there, the Dolphins pretty much cruised, as they tacked on three field goals before the end of the first half to take a 30-7 lead into halftime.
Instead of facing the Denver Broncos next week, the Dolphins will play at home against the New York, who are 0-5 and have lost every game by more than one score.
Suddenly, it's not crazy to think about the Dolphins being able to make a playoff run.
One thing for sure, they certainly looked like a playoff team against San Francisco.