The Miami Dolphins weren’t able to secure their ninth win of the season on Sunday, as they were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers, 33-17, at Levi’s Stadium.
Mike McDaniel’s team struggled to find consistency and turned the ball over too frequently which led to their loss, putting an end to their five-game win streak.
Miami will have to make some changes if they want to succeed during a stretch of competitive football in December, but, for now, here are some things we learned from the defeat:
Tua Tagovailoa had his worst game of the season
Tagovailoa has been playing at a near-MVP throughout the 2022 season. However, on Sunday, his performance left a lot to be desired. He completed just 54.5% of his attempts for 295 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and a fumble that was returned for a score as well.
The former Alabama quarterback had players open multiple times during the game, and he just couldn’t hit them. It’s unclear why Tagovailoa was dealing with inaccuracies, but it was evident that he was affected somehow.
Miami refused to run the ball
Without their top two tackles, Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson, the Dolphins completely abandoned the run game against the league’s best when it comes to defending the run.
Miami only attempted eight rushes, with Raheem Mostert gaining 30 yards on seven attempts and Jeff Wilson Jr. taking one rush for three yards.
This lack of balance likely played a hand in some of the offense’s struggles. Because there was no threat to run, the 49ers could worry about getting after the quarterback and covering.
Tyreek Hill is a monster
It may not be something new, but this game just reinforced how good of a player Hill is. While the offense struggled, Hill still produced 146 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.
He now sits just 11 yards away from the single-season record for receiving yards in team history – a mark that was set by Mark Clayton in 1984.
Even when Tagovailoa isn’t on his game, Hill is still going to be a factor because he can just break free for a 45-yard touchdown with regularity.
There might not be a Dolphin capable of slowing down an elite dual-threat running back like Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey carved up Miami’s defense even when it was pretty clear that they were using him frequently, as the former Stanford back totaled 146 yards and a touchdown on 25 touches on Sunday.
The Dolphins don’t appear to have anybody that can keep up with him. Their best coverage linebacker, Duke Riley, just simply wasn’t quick enough, and they don’t exactly have a cornerback that they can spare.
It’s not often that a team rosters an enigma like McCaffrey, who’s so impressive in both the rushing and receiving game, but if Miami runs into another team with a dynamic playmaker at the position, it’ll likely be a problem.
