The Miami Dolphins left Northern California with a 35-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but one third-quarter moment drew just as much attention as the final score.
On a critical fourth-down snap, veteran punter Bradley Pinion handled a clean snap and then simply dropped the ball as he tried to get the kick away. He ended up falling on it at the Miami 28-yard line, turning the play over and handing San Francisco another short field. Two plays later, the 49ers punched in a touchdown and widened the gap.
That sequence set off a wave of reaction online, with frustrated fans accusing the Dolphins of tanking. Some pointed to the roster turnover from the offseason, including the departure of high-priced veterans, while others fixated on how strange the special teams mistake looked in real time.
“Dolphins might have to make the tanking a little less obvious if they don’t want to get reprimanded by the league,” one account said about the Miami Dolphins.
“Is it me, or does it look like he did it on purpose? The way his hand dropped before the ball came out,” a second person pointed out.
“Are the Dolphins actually tanking?” one final person asked.
The loss dropped Miami to 0-2, and the offense never found much rhythm. Quarterback Malik Willis finished 14 of 25 for 157 passing yards with one late interception and four sacks under heavy pressure. Afterward, head coach Mike McDaniel said the team has to clean up the mistakes if it wants to hang with top opponents.
“We have to play cleaner football to compete with elite teams like the 49ers,” McDaniel stated afterward.
San Francisco had plenty going on the other side, too. Brock Purdy completed 90.9 percent of his passes, and Christian McCaffrey scored twice, giving him his 100th career touchdown. By the end of the afternoon, the Dolphins were staring at an 0-2 start and a mess of their own making.
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At the top, Buffalo has done the opposite, opening 2-0 behind strong play from Josh Allen and a defense that has helped set the pace in the division. The Jets and Patriots are hanging in the middle at 1-1, which only sharpens the contrast for Miami, where the early struggles are about more than the record and leave a lot of questions still hanging over the season. [Read more 🡒]