Four Winners (Somehow) And Four Losers In Dolphins Loss At San Francisco

Week 2 is in the books, and the Miami Dolphins will happily say goodbye to the West Coast as they make their way back to Florida after a 35-13 dismantling at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.

Expectations already were low heading into Levi's Stadium thanks to Week 1. And still, both the offense and defense were boatraced in the third quarter for the second straight game. Overall, the list of positive takeaways from this game feels lower than their loss to Las Vegas.

That makes a list that has to feature WINNERS alongside losers a bit difficult. Malik Willis is nowhere to be found on this list again, as while the numbers are unimpressive, no interceptions (And one less sack, since he said that's a QB stat) are a welcome improvement.

THE DOLPHINS WEEK 2 WINNERS AND LOSERS

Loser - RT Austin Jackson

He was matched up against Nick Bosa for most snaps, but Jackson has now clocked in two subpar games and is starting to cement himself as the weakest link of the offensive line.

It's not just about having defenders shake him off or being too slow to react to the 49ers sending the house on third down. But even at 6-5 and 305 pounds, Bosa consistently pushed him around. Even Upton Stout, an 181-pound cornerback, was able to push him backwards into Willis near the goal line, helping to force him out of the pocket.

The physicality, reaction time, and footwork aren't there. Maybe you could give a rookie like Kadyn Proctor some grace, but Jackson is in his seventh season in the NFL. Once he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2027, the incentives to keep him around are getting thinner and thinner.

Winner - RB De'Von Achane

This wasn't the greatest stat line for Achane, with 74 yards off 28 carries. But he was at least consistent against San Francisco, and the same can't be said for a lot of the offensive weapons that Willis had at his disposal.

In the first half alone, he had 17 touches - two more than the total amount he had last week against the Raiders. Production slowly dwindled in the second half, but that's to be expected when Miami is down by multiple scores with time ticking away.

The run blocking from Miami's offensive line was an improvement against a San Francisco run defense that had notable flaws in their win over the Los Angeles Rams. It's not exactly 40 touches as head coach Jeff Hafley joked, but offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik made good on his promise to feed Achane the ball more, and the results were positive.

Loser - DT Zach Sieler

Don't take this the wrong way. Anyone involved in Miami's pass rush in this game is subject to being on this list. Sieler takes this spot specifically because, with one total tackle, that's not good value coming out of his three-year, $64 million contract extension of 2025.

Brock Purdy was never even close to being sacked in this game, helping him record more touchdowns (3) than incompletions (2). Mainly being matched up against Dominick Puni and Colton McKivitz, Sieler was often double-teamed and ultimately became a non-factor.

That's all there is to it. Sieler had such a quiet performance that there's nothing left to say. People rightfully criticized Chop Robinson for his performance against the Raiders, but did Sieler, the face of the defensive line, do anything better against the 49ers?

Winner - S Michael Taaffe

You might be surprised to find a defensive player being named a winner, but Taaffe rightfully earned this placement. The list of positives from Miami's pass rush was extremely low, but Taaffe brought energy and consistency all game, and even in a blowout, that means something.

He finished the game with nine total tackles - five of which were solo. He got the closest to sacking Purdy of anyone on Miami's defense and forced an intentional grounding penalty for the first defensive stop of the game for the Dolphins ... in the fourth quarter.

At least the future core of the defense has potential, with players like Taaffe and Jacob Rodriguez having solid performances. It didn't translate to overall success in a game like this, but the flashes of hope Dolphins fans would like to see from the defense are there.

Loser - RB Ollie Gordon II

Thanks to the extended use of Achane, Gordon didn't see a whole lot of time on the field on offense. But when he was there, he didn't impress, with 7 yards on three carries. One of them was good for 5 yards, but the others were a gain of a single yard.

On special teams, Gordon had another quiet game, except for a running into the kicker penalty that canceled out a holding penalty on San Francisco on the same punt in the fourth quarter.

We don't know the extent of Jaylen Wright's injury, as Hafley didn't provide any updates postgame. However, if he's not available next week or beyond, the depth of the running back room takes a serious hit, and Gordon's performance in this game doesn't exude confidence if that's the case.

Winner - TE Will Kacmarek

We're getting desperate now.

But for being a rookie tight end whose primary objective is to block, Kacmarek has done a solid job. Unlike a certain offensive lineman already mentioned, Kacmarek had some solid battles against Bosa and was helpful in the run game, being a main blocker for Achane on occasion.

And, for what it's worth, Kacmarek nailed his one target from Willis — a 4-yard reception in the third quarter. He's definitely going to be overlooked when compared to other rookies because he has a quiet yet important role when he's on the field. But let it be known that, for the most part, he does his job well.

Loser - K Riley Patterson & P Bradley Pinion

Giving two separate spots to a pair of players on special teams feels like cheating, so Patterson and Pinion will be combined, but if you want to view this spot as the special teams as a whole, be my guest.

On a good snap and hold, Patterson pushed an early 51-yard field goal attempt wide right. He did nail a pair of 24- and 28-yard kicks, but that's two misses in two games for someone who was seen as automatic. He's already tied the number of field goals he missed all of last season.

Meanwhile, Pinion was the victim of a football follies clip that's already circulating on social media and could likely continue as a "this season in a nutshell" kind of clip. In the third quarter, He dropped the ball as he was beginning his punting motion. While he recovered the ball, it set up the 49ers at the 28-yard line, and it only took them two plays to make the former San Francisco punter pay for his mistake.

Winner - WR Ryan Miller

Let it be known that Willis' first touchdown pass as a member of the Dolphins went to Miller, who was claimed off waivers by Miami back on August 25 after spending a season with the New York Giants.

It was a pretty good one, too, a 77-yard score where Miller flew by Stout. Don't overreact and assume this means he'll get extended playing time moving forward, but it was a rare positive that the Dolphins can hopefully build on before their date with Kansas City.

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