Week 5 - While it's still very early in the 2020-21 NFL season, one of the biggest surprises thus far might be what took place at Levi's Stadium on Sunday between the San Francisco 49ers (2-2) and the visiting Miami Dolphins (1-3). Even after taking into consideration the plethora of injuries Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team has suffered in the first handful of weeks, nobody would've foresaw the double-digit shellacking the defending NFC Champs would take on the chin in Week 5 at the hands of a rebuilding Miami team. With San Francisco getting two key cogs back in their lineup in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Raheem Mostert, both of whom missed the last two and a half weeks while nursing injuries, the Niners entered Sunday's game as 9-point favorites. But once the game kicked off, one would've thought it was Miami who was favored as they were in the drivers seat from beginning to end.
In today's society, bullying comes in many forms and is not to be taken lightly and could even result in jail time in some cases. However, Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick must not have gotten that memo as he and his Dolphin teammates picked on San Francisco's Brian Allen time and time again in the first half of Sunday's game. With the 49ers missing three of their top cornerbacks in Richard Sherman (calf), Emanuel Moseley (concussion) and K'Waun Williams (knee), as well as Dontae Johnson inactive and Ahkello Witherspoon less than 100% with a hamstring ailment, the 49ers were forced to kick the tires on Allen who was promoted from the practice squad just one day earlier. Getting the first start of his career and seeing his first NFL action since 2018, those tires would fall off rather quickly as his day was cut short by coach Shanahan who spared Allen any further embarrassment just before halftime, but not before his name began trending on social media for all the wrong reasons. Following a three and out on San Francisco's opening possession, Fitzpatrick connected on a 47-yard pass on Miami's first play of the day on offense, targeting the inexperienced Allen, who if not for the receiver stepping out of bounds, would've likely surrendered a touchdown. Three plays later while facing a 3rd and 11, Allen would bail the Miami offense out with a horse-collar tackle that gave the Dolphins an automatic first down and another chance at the end zone. Fitzpatrick and company would turn that gift into a touchdown just two plays later as tight-end Adam Shaheen hauled in the 3-yard score.
San Francisco's second possession would be equally as disappointing as their first as they made it to midfield before turning the ball over on downs after a failed 4th and 1 attempt. Continuing his dissection of Brian Allen, Fitzpatrick found Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker for a 28-yard pass down the right sideline with Allen in coverage. The big play would put the Miami offense in enemy territory as they scored their second touchdown in as many possessions just several plays later. Trailing 14-0, it wasn't until the second quarter that the 49er offense finally showed up and put some points on the board. Setup by a 37-yard run from Mostert, the Niners needed only three plays before fullback Kyle Juszczyk rushed 7-yards up the middle to find the end zone and record his first rushing touchdown in a San Francisco uniform. Unfortunately for the Niners, Brian Allen was still on the field and was made an example of by Fitzpatrick. After allowing a 19-yard completion to Miami's Preston Williams, Allen committed a pass-interference penalty that gave the Dolphins 22-yards and allowed them to setup shop inside the 5-yardline. Following a clipping penalty on the offense and a 49ers sack, Miami suddenly found themselves in a 3rd and goal situation from the 22. In need of a big play, Fitzpatrick knew just where to go and who to target as he connected with DeVante Parker in the end zone who blew by the struggling Brian Allen. Trailing 21-7, coach Shanahan had seen enough and had no other choice than to pull Allen in favor of the ailing Witherspoon as 124 of Fitzpatrick's first 168 yards passing came against Allen.
But Allen wouldn't be the only one benched and kept out of the second half as QB Jimmy Garoppolo also saw his day cut short as he threw back to back interceptions before the half, which allowed the Dolphins to tack on a trio of field goals and take a 30-7 lead into the locker room. In need of a miracle and in hopes of providing the same immediate spark that he gave the team just a week earlier, C.J. Beathard took over at quarterback to start the second half. And just like he did in relief of Nick Mullens in Week 4 against the Eagles, Beathard was able to breathe some life into the San Francisco offense, finding Kendrick Bourne for a 19-yard touchdown. Sadly, Miami would answer with a touchdown of their own when Fitzpatrick fired a dart down the middle for a 32-yard score by Preston Williams. San Francisco's final three possessions would end in a field goal, turnover on downs and a fumble as Miami ran away with the 43-17 rout. The 43-points allowed by San Francisco would be the most by an opponent in the 6+ year existence of Levi's Stadium and Miami's highest point total since Week 7 of the 2015 season. The 43-point outburst would mark only the 5th time since 2000 that the Dolphins scored 40+ points in a game, the fewest such games in the NFL in that span.
While the 49ers were touted to possibly having an even better offensive-line this season than they a year ago, Sunday saw the San Francisco o-line allow 5+ sacks in consecutive weeks for the first time since Weeks 14 & 15 of the 2014 season. It was just one of the many things that contributed to a career-low 15.7 passer rating for Jimmy Garoppolo, the lowest by a 49ers QB since Cody Pickett (7.5) in Week 10 of the 2005 season. In contrast, Fitzpatrick turned into Fitzmagic by dazzling to a 154.5 passer rating, just shy of perfection and completing 22 of 28 passes for 350 yards, 3 touchdowns and no turnovers. Garoppolo and Beathard failed to combine for even half of that as the two tallied a combined 171 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions and a fumble. The lone bright spot on offense would come from Raheem Mostert who collected over a hundred yards of total yards with 90 of those yards coming on the ground off of just 11 carries.
Week 6 Preview - Falling to 0-3 at home to start the season, the 49ers (2-3) will have their work cut out for them in Week 6 as they welcome in the 4-1 Los Angeles Rams who's only loss came in the final seconds on the road against the Bills in Week 3. Two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance of their own, the division rival Rams appear to have shaken off the funk that lingered just a season ago following their best season in decades, and are looking a lot like the 2018 Rams that took the league by surprise and won the division. With Todd Gurley III gone from the backfield and playing elsewhere, QB and Bay Area native Jared Goff has looked much improved from his 2019-self and hopes to keep the Niners win-less at home as he enters the game having logged a passer rating of 100+ in four straight games. Crossing their fingers that they'll have Richard Sherman back and healthy enough to play cornerback on Sunday in hopes of avoiding another Brian Allen-like disaster, the chances don't seem likely that San Francisco fans will get their wish. Head coach Kyle Shanahan will also need a much better game from his offensive-line in Week 6 as they'll be up against the best pass-rusher in the game of football when they meet with the Rams' Aaron Donald who is coming off a monster performance in which he tallied 4 sacks, two more than the San Francisco defense produced as a whole. The heavyweight match-up will be on NBC's Sunday Night Football as the Niners make their second SNF appearance in three weeks.
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