The Miami Dolphins head into their matchup with the San Francisco 49ers knowing the odds are stacked against them. San Francisco is favored by 13.5 points, and after what Miami put on tape last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, that number doesn’t feel especially generous to the Dolphins.
This one also comes with a little built-in pressure for Miami. The team stayed in California between games, and the hope is that the extra time acted like a mini-training camp - a chance to clean up the Week 1 mistakes before the second week of this franchise rebuild. Whether that actually shows up on the field is the question.
The biggest swing factor for Miami is simple enough: can the Dolphins get De’Von Achane involved more effectively on the ground and through the air? And can the rookies who are already starting or playing major roles take a step forward after their debuts last week? If the answer to both is yes, Miami might at least keep this from turning into a runaway.
Even then, the consensus from our contributors is clear: everyone has the 49ers winning. I picked Miami to cover the 13.5-point spread, though that might be more hope than conviction.
Week 1 also gave us our first look at the standings race. James McKinney jumped out front at 12-4, with Marek Brave and Sumeet Jena tied at 10-6. The Phinsider Community also sits at 10-6, while I’m back at 9-7.
Here’s the full Week 2 slate:
Thursday Night Football
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills - Final: 41-31 Buffalo
Sunday
1 p.m.
Eastern
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
Green Bay Packers at New York Jets
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans
4:05 p.m. Eastern
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
4:25 p.m. Eastern
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers
Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. Eastern)
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. Eastern)
In Other News...
Jordyn Brooks Sent Dolphins Fans A Message Before This Brutal Stretch
After the loss to the 49ers, Jordyn Brooks didnt sound interested in letting one rough afternoon define the Dolphins start. Speaking to the media, the veteran linebacker pointed to the talent in the room and stressed that Miami has the right pieces to get this turned around, even if the results have not matched the expectation early on. He also owned the mistakes the team made, especially in the second half, while noting that the defense is still working through the kind of growth every unit has to navigate.
Brooks message comes at a timely moment, because the schedule is about to get a lot less forgiving. The Dolphins are headed into a difficult stretch with the Chiefs and Vikings next, the sort of run that can either steady a season or make an early skid feel even heavier. For Miami, the urgency is obvious, but Brooks tone suggested there is still confidence inside the locker room that the response is coming. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Have Every Right To Worry After This 0-2 Start
The Dolphins are already staring at an uneasy early-season picture after San Francisco rolled into Miami and left with a 35-13 win that exposed how much work remains on both sides of the ball. Brock Purdy was efficient and precise, Christian McCaffrey kept the pressure on with a pair of scoring runs, and the 49ers needed very little time to put the game in their control by reaching the end zone on each of their first five drives.
For Miami, the bigger concern is what this kind of loss says about the gap between where the team is and where it wants to be after an 0-2 start. The offense never found a rhythm against a defense that dictated the terms early, and the defense spent the afternoon chasing a game that was already slipping away, leaving the Dolphins with plenty of questions and not many easy answers heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Just Added An Edge Rusher With Bigger Roster Implications
The Dolphins continued to tinker with the back end of their roster by adding edge defender Andre Jones Jr. off the Buffalo Bills practice squad, a move that brings in a veteran who already has some familiarity with Miami special teams coordinator Chris Tabor from their time together in Buffalo. Jones has appeared in 19 games over three seasons, giving Miami another experienced option as it tries to keep the pass-rush depth chart steady.
The signing also comes with the usual roster squeeze that follows this kind of transaction. Miami will need to make a corresponding move to fit Jones onto the active roster, and once hes in, the team must keep him there for at least three weeks, which gives this addition a little more staying power than a simple practice-squad shuffle. [Read more 🡒]