The San Francisco 49ers entered the weekend as the biggest favorite in Week 2, and they played like it, dominating the Miami Dolphins 35-13 to start the season 2-0.
In a slower-paced game, the 49ers scored touchdowns on each of their first five drives, including three in the third quarter, as their offense could not be stopped, despite Christian McCaffrey having just 23 yards on the ground.
Brock Purdy flourished, while George Kittle and Mike Evans both had quality games in the air for the 49ers.
Here
are three quick takeaways from the 49ers’ 35-13 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.
Brock Purdy shines again
Brock Purdy was the key to the 49ers’ Week 1 win, tossing for 205 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, while rushing for 29 more on the ground in the 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Purdy had the rough interception last week, but played fantastic outside of that, as the 49ers dominated the Rams in a big surprise. On Sunday, Purdy was nearly perfect, completing 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also added 30 yards and another touchdown on the ground, while completing his last 18 passes.
Purdy has always been the key piece of the 49ers’ offensive ceiling. His issue has been turnovers and the costly turnover-worthy plays. Those weren’t present on Sunday, as Purdy made clean decisions with receivers open throughout the afternoon. He finished with a passer rating of 149.1 and has started the season strong for the 49ers.
The pressure gets there
In the keys to the game, I pointed out the need to stop Malik Willis and neutralize the rushing threat of the Dolphins. Well, San Francisco kept De’Von Achane under 4.0 yards per carry, but the 49ers really excelled with their pass defense.
Malik Willis threw for just 120 yards (before a late-game touchdown), while rushing twice for six yards, and the 49ers sacked him four times. The young guys cleaned up, as Gracen Halton, Romello Height, and Marques Sigle each got a sack, while Upton Stout and Fred Warner combined for another.
The pass rush was a major issue for the 49ers last season, and they’ve had to rely on younger players to start the year with injuries up front. So far, that room has done well enough, and the pressure got there several times against Malik Willis on Sunday.
Red zone excellence
The 49ers drove down the field on each of their first five drives, going 59, 71, 65, 71, and 28 yards, with all of those possessions going into the red zone. Each of those drives ended in a touchdown, making the 49ers 5 for 5 on red zone touchdown scores.
Meanwhile, their defense wasn’t necessarily spectacular, as Miami got into 49ers territory on each of their first three drives. But those three possessions produced just six points, as the 49ers missed a field goal and forced two red-zone field goals.
Despite facing 9, 17, and 12-yard drives, the 49ers secured stops when it mattered, limiting the Dolphins’ scoring chances and maintaining a firm lead.
Last weekend, they scored on 2 of 3 red-zone drives and allowed just one touchdown on three defensive drives. It was good to see them continue that success on Sunday.
