The 49ers head into their Week 2 matchup with the Dolphins carrying the kind of expectations that usually come with being a heavy favorite. Still, there’s plenty on this roster worth watching closely, and this game should reveal a few things about how San Francisco wants to use its pieces.
One of the biggest early-season questions is the backfield split. Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black were used more evenly than many expected in Week 1, and that wasn’t by accident.
Once the 49ers got out front, they leaned on their power back and took some of the load off McCaffrey. With Miami on deck and San Francisco favored again, Black could be in line for another useful fantasy day if that approach holds.
There’s also a situation developing on the offensive line. Rookie Carver Willis did not open at left guard in Week 1, but that move feels temporary.
Colby has not been able to claim the job, and he looks more like a bridge than a long-term answer while the team waits to see whether Willis is ready. Week 2 should offer another clue about where that battle is headed.
On defense, the safety picture is worth monitoring. Mustapha has 22 starts across two seasons, but he was mostly limited to garbage-time work in the opener.
His summer was interrupted by injury, so that lighter workload may have been about getting him fully back up to speed. At the same time, the 49ers are working under a new defensive coordinator this season, and Raheem Morris may prefer Marques Sigle and Ji’Ayir Brown.
Sigle was projected as the third safety, but Brown had the rougher outing in Week 1, which could open the door for Mustapha to get back into the mix sooner than later.
The run defense is another area that could come into focus against Miami. San Francisco wasn’t truly stressed there in Week 1 because of its big lead, but on a snap-by-snap basis the front seven did not look clean enough. That matters because Alfred Collins is not coming back and Mykel Williams remains out, so the help isn’t arriving anytime soon.
Miami may not bring a loaded offense, but there are still enough threats to test the 49ers. Malik Willis can hurt a defense with his legs at quarterback, and De’Von Achane is difficult to bring down. If the 49ers are leaky against the run again, this game could hint at problems that show up later.
Beyond Nick Bosa, who looks good, there are more questions than answers up front. Can Romello Height play better?
Does Keion White show more? What about the rest of the depth?
Week 2 should start giving those questions some real shape.
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