49ERS (1-9) VS. DOLPHINS (6-4)
SUNDAY, 1 P.M. ET, HARD ROCK STADIUM, MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. uTV: FOX, DIRECTV 711
Announcers: Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman, Holly Sonders
About the 49ers: San Francisco hung tough with the New England Patriots for a half Sunday, but no one was surprised by the final score. Things don’t get a lot easier for the 49ers, who bring a nine-game losing streak into Sunday’s game vs. a Miami team that has won five in a row. The 49ers are making microscopic steps toward being competitive, but the switch to QB hasn’t ended San Francisco’s losing streak. Things have unraveled to the point that the Jim Tomsula era is looking pretty good by comparison. The 49ers are 0-4 on the road and have lost those games by an average margin of 18 points. San Francisco allowed 46, 37 and 45 points in its three road games this year before holding the Arizona Cardinals to 23 in Week 10.
About the Dolphins: Having spent most of the last two weeks on the West Coast, Miami returns home as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Dolphins have quietly won five in a row, the last four in dramatic fashion. WR played the hero Sunday at the Los Angeles Rams by catching the gamewinning TD pass in the final minute, and the Dolphins have plenty of weapons on offense despite a sluggish offensive performance in the win against the Rams. Injuries up front have prevented Miami from breaking out, but the defense has been good enough to keep the Dolphins in games. Miami had to play without DE Mario Williams, LT and C Mike Pouncey on Sunday but survived.
Matchup to watch: 49ers DT DeForest Buckner vs. Dolphins C Anthony Steen. Injuries have depleted the Dolphins offensive DeVante Parker’s TD catch extended the Dolphins’ winning streak to five.
line in recent weeks, and it has had an effect on Miami’s offense. Pouncey sat out the Rams game because of a hip injury, and that could mean another start for backup Steen this weekend. Buckner, the first of the 49ers’ two first-round picks, has emerged as a playmaker on San Francisco’s improving defense.
San Francisco’s run defense has shown improvement in recent weeks, but it’s an area
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
the Dolphins can try to expose. Ajayi is 198 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season, and he might get there this week if the 49ers fall into old habits. His 77-yard effort in Los Angeles was subpar by Ajayi’s recent standards.
Consecutive losses by the 49ers, tying a 38-year-old franchise record. With a loss Sunday, San Francisco would establish a team record for futility.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Containing Ajayi: Miami has one of the lowest-ranked passing offenses in the league, but it might not matter Sunday. If Ajayi can take advantage of San Francisco’s porous run defense, the Dolphins might not need to convert many third downs. The 49ers will be focused on stopping Ajayi, but whether they have the horses to do it is another story.
2. Kaepernick’s legs: Running quarterbacks such as Marcus Mariota and Tyrod Taylor have had success against this Miami defense in recent weeks, so there is reason to think Kaepernick might be able to make some plays with his feet. The 49ers don’t have many playmakers on offense, and Kaepernick might have to do a lot of the work on his own.
3. The return game: Miami has had all sorts of issues in this area, and it might be time to move on from rookie San Francisco hasn’t gotten much out of its kick returners this season, either, and the 49ers could use a big play to ignite the offense. A big return or a huge mistake in the return game might decide this one.
Scott Johnson