If the Dolphins are going to have any shot at knocking off the 49ers in Week 2, Jacob Rodriguez is going to be right in the middle of it.
That’s where the conversation starts after his 14-tackle outing in Week 1, a performance that has plenty of people buzzing. The question now is simple: was that a one-game spike against the Raiders, or is the rookie really built for this? San Francisco is about to supply the answer, and it’s a much stiffer test.
The challenge isn’t just Brock Purdy. The 49ers bring a full menu of problems for Miami’s young defense, with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle all looming as major factors. There’s no easy way through that group, and Rodriguez is going to be asked to hold up against more traffic than he saw in his first game.
In Week 1, Rodriguez was dealing with Michael Mayer and Ashton Jeanty. This week, the workload figures to be heavier and the reads a lot messier. If he comes through looking sharp against this offense, the hype around him is going to get a lot louder.
McCaffrey is the first big test. Whether he’s working to the edge and exploding upfield or pounding through the middle, he forces defenders to make perfect decisions.
Rodriguez will have chances to finish the play, but the key is discipline - keeping his eyes on McCaffrey’s waist instead of getting fooled by the legs or the upper body. Staying in his lane matters here.
Overpursue, and McCaffrey will make him pay.
Samuel brings a different kind of stress. He won’t be Rodriguez’s direct coverage assignment - that belongs to Chris Johnson - but the end-arounds change the picture.
Those touches can bring Samuel right into Rodriguez’s path, which means the linebacker has to stay alert and not get lured in by McCaffrey’s movement. With the misdirection and Samuel’s size in the mix, Rodriguez can’t afford to lose track of the football.
Then there’s Kittle, who presents a little bit of everything. He’s a high-level blocker, but he’s also a tight end who can slice through the middle of the field and punish any lapse in awareness.
Rodriguez has to track him carefully, especially when Kittle works across his area. The danger is letting him slip behind the defense, and Rodriguez also needs to know when Jordyn Brooks is handing off coverage responsibilities.
The rookie showed up big in Week 1. Now comes the real examination.
In Other News...
Dolphins Draft Outlook Got Real Ugly After Just One Game
A rough opening weekend has already pushed the Dolphins into an unexpected spot in the early draft conversation. After their loss to the Raiders, ESPNs Football Power Index now gives Miami the highest chance of landing a top-10 pick in next springs draft, a jarring development for a team that entered the season with much different expectations. The projections are bleak enough to make the conversation feel less like a slow-burn concern and more like an immediate reality check.
ESPNs simulations have Miami with a 38% shot at the No. 1 overall pick and an average draft position of 2.9, while the betting market is essentially treating this as a team in danger of finishing with only a handful of wins. The road ahead does little to ease the pressure, with matchups coming against the 49ers, Chiefs, Vikings and Bengals. For a club that still has plenty of football left, the bigger question now is whether the season can stabilize before the draft picture gets even uglier. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Run Defense Is Becoming A Bigger Problem Than Fans Expected
The run defense is starting to look like more than a one-game annoyance for the Dolphins after Las Vegas pushed the ball on the ground for 130 yards in the latest matchup. Ashton Jeanty did most of the damage, and the bigger concern for Miami was how often the Raiders were able to lean on their offensive line and keep the defense on its heels in the trenches.
Defensive coordinator Mike Hafley pointed to early tentative play and a few misalignments, though he did say the group settled in better after halftime. Even with that adjustment, Miami sits 23rd against the run, and the next stretch will go a long way in showing whether this was a bad afternoon or the start of a more stubborn problem. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Face A Week 2 Test They Cant Keep Avoiding
The Dolphins came out of Week 1 looking like a team still trying to find its offensive balance. Against the Raiders, Miami ran the ball only 18 times and never really settled into the kind of rhythm that has made this offense dangerous when it is at its best. For a team built around speed and spacing, the ground game still matters, and getting De'Von Achane going behind a sturdier interior front feels like a necessary step rather than a luxury.
Week 2 offers a clearer chance to clean that up, with San Francisco's interior defensive line coming in banged up and not nearly as imposing as it usually is. Miami's next test is not just about whether the Dolphins can create more efficient rushing lanes, but whether the offensive line can help them avoid another one-dimensional afternoon. The Niners still have pass rushers who can tilt a game, but the more immediate question for Miami is whether this is the week the run game finally gets treated like a real part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]