The Miami Dolphins hosted the San Francisco 49ers in week 6 and their new quarterback was very familiar with this opponent having faced off against them for all of his career before being traded. The Miami Dolphins were coming off a close victory against the Detroit Lions and Coach Fallen’s main focus during practice this week was limiting turnovers. He wanted his team to control the ball against the 49ers and force them to make the mistakes. The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best rushing attacks in the league and the Dolphins despite their best efforts have one of the worst defenses against the rush this season. Coach Fallen emphasized to his defense that it will be imperative for them to contain the outside running attack and force Trey Sermon up the middle. The San Francisco 49ers started the game with the ball and as expected they methodically took their time and went the length of the field. Trey Sermon had six rushes for almost forty yards on the first drive, but it was Trey Lance who connected with George Kittle for a touchdown to give the 49ers the first points of the game. The Miami Dolphins didn’t fare as well on their first drive. Russell Willson was able to connect with a few of his receivers and after getting down to the 49ers 40 yard line, he connected with Jaylen Waddle on a drag across the right side of the field, but Waddle was hit ferociously by strong safety Talanoa Hufanga. Waddle coughed up the ball, but this wouldn’t be the last time that we saw the Miami Dolphins fumble the ball in this game. Following the fumble, Trey Lance connected with a deep shot to Brandon Aiyuk to give the 49ers a 14-0 lead. The Miami Dolphins were in a situation that coach Fallen desperately didn’t want to be in. He knew that if given a lead, the San Francisco 49ers were going to control the clock and use their rushing attack to keep Russell Willson off of the field.
Russell Wilson would however have an answer on offense. Wilson and company were in a bunched formation and the San Francisco 49ers brought almost everyone on the defense to the line of scrimmage, so Wilson scrambled to his right and chucked the ball deep to a free running Jaylen Waddle for a touchdown. Despite the 14-0 deficit, the defense of the Miami Dolphins forced a stop and Jaylen Waddle was able to run the ball in for a touchdown on a jet sweep. Once up 14-0, the game was tied at 14-14, and the 49ers started to feel more aggressive on offense. Trey Lance tested the middle of the field, but Kareem Jackson was waiting for his pass and he was able to intercept the ball and run it back for a Dolphins’ touchdown. The Miami Dolphins were able to take the 21-14 lead and they never looked back. The game was back and forth, but ultimately the Dolphins were able to pull away late in the fourth quarter after the 49ers turned the ball over a few times. The Dolphins defeated the 49ers 38-21, but despite their best effort to protect the ball, they lost the turnover battle 3-4. The Dolphins fumbled the ball away three times and threw an interception. Despite the interception, Russell Wilson had one of his best games throwing the ball in his career. The Miami Dolphins were able to limit the rushing attack of the San Francisco 49ers after the first quarter. Trey Sermon carried the ball twenty times for 82 yards. He had most of his yards in the first quarter, but the 49ers were forced to abandon the run when they got behind on the scoreboard.
Russell Wilson completed 17 of his 19 passing attempts and threw for 275 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Miami Dolphins had a very balanced offensive approach this game and Salvon Ahmed rushed 69 yards on the ground, which was his best day of the season so far. The addition of Russell Wilson has also improved the Dolphins rushing attack. Wilson added three rushes for 24 yards.
Offensive Statline of the Game –
Mike Gesicki – 5 catches for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.
Mike Gesicki often gets lost in the Miami Dolphins offense. He doesn’t have the speed that Jaylen Waddle or Will Fuller do but he is a reliable pass catcher who knows how to run crisp routes and can be relied on in the clutch. Gesicki led the Dolphins in receptions in this game and it is a testament to Russell Wilson’s ability to find the open receiver instead of focusing on one route. It will be important for Mike Gesicki to stay healthy and be the outlet receiver that Russell Wilson can count on in third down situations.
Defensive Statline of the Game –
Juanyeh Thomas – 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
The Miami Dolphins have to give a huge pay raise to their scouting department for drafting Juanyeh Thomas. He was selected as the AFC defensive player of the week for his clutch performance against the Detroit Lions. He was able to continue that strong performance again this week with a huge forced fumble on Brandon Aiyuk. The shifty wide receiver never saw Thomas coming and looked like a ghost when he put the ball on the ground. Juanyeh Thomas is one of the early front runners for defensive rookie of the year, but the Miami Dolphins will need him in the next stretch of games.
The Miami Dolphins will look to build on their two game winning streak when they head to Pittsburgh next week. The Pittsburgh Steelers are also on a two game winning streak and they are surprising experts around the league so far this season. Najee Harris has been one of the best running backs so far this season. He is coming off an unreal three hundred yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens. It’s going to be a long game for the Dolphins if they are unable to force Pittsburgh to throw the ball. They have to expect a similar game plan as the 49ers had coming into the game this week.
