The Miami Dolphins saw their five-game winning streak snapped after they lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 33-17, on the road in Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season. This was also Miami's first loss this season with Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback. The Dolphins are now 8-4, sitting in second place in the AFC East. Here we'll discuss the four Dolphins most to blame for their tough Week 13 loss vs. the 49ers.
The Dolphins flew to Santa Clara, California hoping to record their ninth victory of the season. Instead, coach Mike McDaniel was unable to defeat his former squad. The 49ers prevailed in what turned out to be a pretty lopsided game.
Miami actually had a strong start as QB Tua Tagovailoa connected with wide receiver Trent Sherfield for a 75-yard touchdown on their opening offensive play of the day. After that score, however, the Dolphins blew hot and cold for most of the game. Consequently, Miami dropped its fourth game of the season. That might not seem too bad, but keep in mind that this is just the beginning of a grueling stretch of competitive football that will undoubtedly test their tenacity and resilience.
For now, let us look at the four Dolphins most to blame for their Week 13 loss vs. the 49ers.
Final. pic.twitter.com/1bA5iK0HRG
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 5, 2022
4. Absentee Running Game
Miami chose not to leverage its rushing attack in this game. In fact, the Dolphins carried the ball only eight times for 33 yards. Looking back, maybe Miami should have gone in a different direction.
Take note that the addition of running back Jeff Wilson Jr. should have helped the Dolphins' running game. We didn't get to see that here. Wilson and Raheem Mostert, both of whom are actually former 49ers, rushed for a total of just 33 yards. Entering this game, the Dolphins were already 28th in the league in rushing at 94.8 yards per game. They then carried for 13 yards on just five carries in the first half. It's quite noticeable that the short passing game has essentially replaced the run game.
Recall that the Dolphins carried for just 66 yards against Houston last week as well. It's clear that they need to establish a running game to complement their passing attack, especially with starting left tackle Terron Armstead still out and pass protection deteriorating.
3. The Little-Shell Offensive Line
Speaking of pass protection, Greg Little was forced to start at left tackle, and Brandon Shell was at right tackle for the Dolphins. That's because the aforementioned Armstead was out with a strained pectoral, while Austin Jackson, the starting right tackle, was also out with an ankle ailment.
The Little-Shell combo didn't exactly work wonders. Tagovailoa was under siege early and often. This included two early sacks by Nick Bosa, but things could have been worse.
The dilemma now is whether Miami should stick to this Little-Shell pairing. Jackson and Armstead are very important, but with both still reeling from injuries, the Dolphins have little choice (pun not intended). McDaniel had expressed hope last week that Armstead would be able to go, but he was inactive. The concern is whether Armstead can play without risking a torn pec. That would put an end to his season and have a significant impact on the offense.
2. Dolphins Defense
On a day when the Dolphins defense should have taken initiative and control, they faltered. Keep in mind that 49ers starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo was injured very early in the game. That meant that San Francisco had to rely on third-stringer Brock Purdy. On paper, the Dolphins defense should have had a field day here.
Well, that didn't happen. Even with Purdy's limitations, Miami's defense just couldn't get off the field on important downs. They did record four sacks, ten QB hits, and an interception, but it still never seemed like the Dolphins had the upper hand on Purdy & Co.
Recall that Purdy was the 262nd and last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He should not have picked apart the Dolphins defense like he did today. To illustrate, the 49ers already had 17 points and 224 yards before halftime. Yikes.
1. QB Tua Tagovailoa
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill for some flashy stats, but he still had one of his sloppiest overall outings this 2022-23 season. With Bosa leading the 49ers “D” off the edge, Tagovailoa finished with three turnovers. He threw two interceptions, fumbled once, and almost threw two more interceptions in really tight coverage.
Take note that Tagovailoa wasn't able to hit his weapons with his typical consistency. He still completed 54.5 percent of his throws for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions and strip-sack really hurt the Dolphins' chances.
Many people doubted if Tagovailoa could step up under the bright lights against the best teams in the NFL. Sure, he could dominate sub-.500 squads, but what about the winning teams? What about the elite?
Well, those doubts certainly got magnified after his performance here. Over the course of his young career, Tagovailoa has completed 240-of-399 passes for 2,762 yards against 13 teams above .500. This includes 16 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions for a passer rating of 80.8. In contrast, Tagovailoa has a lifetime passer rating of 106.0 versus teams with losing records.
It sure looks like this game opened up more questions than answers for Tagovailoa and his crew. To make matters worse, he also suffered an ankle injury late in this game.
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