The regular season game between the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers took place the Sunday just before 2024’s Christmas holiday. This week 16 game thoroughly reflected the identical record of two 6-8 teams and was much closer than our fans would want. The game stats definitively illustrate the great extent to which this was a very close contest. The Dolphins executed 11 total drives, compared to 10 drives for the 49ers. Miami converted 64 total plays into 381 total yards, while San Francisco needed 61 plays to create 374 yards.
Overall this was not pretty, as the game was riddled with mistakes on both sides. San Francisco Head Coach Kyle Shanahan alluded to these mistakes when he admitted that “we’ve hurt ourselves a number of times.” For three quarters the game was a back-and-forth-affair with both teams seemingly performing as mirror images of each other. The 49ers manufactured 6.1 yards per play compared to 6 yards for the team in teal and orange. They traded scores, and for a large part of the game it seemed that whoever would possess the ball last would win the game. To illustrate this, the 49ers averaged 7.3 per attempt compared to an excruciatingly similar 6.3 yards for the Dolphins.
A Game with a Very Unique Vibe
In the third quarter, the similarities between the two teams would become even more eerie as the Dolphins drove the ball and looked to be very close to scoring when a penalty after a completion to Tyreek Hill forced them into a field goal. Luckily this was a great night for the field goal unit as the Fins converted 5 out of 5 field goals on the foot of Miami kicker Jason Sanders. The 49ers mirrored the Dolphins on their subsequent drive. Going down for a touchdown, San Francisco was also called back for a penalty; the glaring difference was that the 49ers were unable to convert the field goal.
This was only one of a number of moments when San Francisco Head Coach Kyle Shanahan became visibly frustrated – at this juncture cameras caught him launching his clipboard to the side. The outcome of the game possibly would have dire reverberations as it could mean his team’s elimination from postseason play. For much of the game, the two teams traded blows – though it was Miami that maintained a slight lead for most of the game.
The 49ers would leave a lot of drives at the goal line as penalties and missed field goals allowed the Dolphins to maintain a 5 point lead with time winding down. In spite of this, South Florida still seemed sunny to the 49ers because they received the ball for what should have been the last drive of regulation. The Dolphins’ defense ensured that this wouldn’t be the case.
The Highlights You Cannot Miss
San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, the man that retired All-Pro quarterback Tony Romo described as a wide receiver with running back attributes, contributed 7 receptions for 96 yards. 49ers tight end George Kittle finished with 106 yards, with his longest reception one of 28 yards. Serendipitously, a missed block by veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell opened up the window for San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy to find Kittle for his longest catch of the game.
Though Purdy with his 313 yards on the day, as well as Kittle and Samuel amassed nice stats on paper, they did not turn into game-changing plays and Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey was certainly missed. Former San Francisco 49er, Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert, was very effective in meaningful moments. He turned the momentum in his team’s favor and supplied his team with a performance that effectively shone light on the mistake his former team made in letting him go. It was a great day for the Florida native as he maximized his opportunities and put together a very prideful performance when he conglomerated 31 yards on the ground and 15 through the air. The numbers are not in themselves impressive but their timeliness made a big impact.
The 4th quarter dragged as the game was bogged down by injuries and penalties. Yet that’s what makes sports so fascinatingly unique. On any given Sunday, the circumstances can change at any moment. Without any warning, the flow of this game shifted dramatically, leaving the viewer with a final 5 minutes that were taut and fascinating. Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel opted to call plays to the outside, dialing up a load of running and passing plays to the edges. In addition, the Dolphins were the beneficiaries of a few ticky-tack penalties against the 49ers, as well as some calls that were well-deserved. The 49ers faced consecutive penalties for illegal substitution, unnecessary roughness and offsides to spot Miami 25 yards. Sanders would again be prevailed upon for a field goal. His 48-yard bullet stretched the Dolphins’ lead to 22-17. Consequently, after putting together an effective drive that took 5 minutes off the clock, the Dolphins settled for a field goal. Yet this field goal meant that the 49ers would need a touchdown to potentially claim the lead.
That’s exactly what San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy had in mind. It would have been the perfect set-up for a game-winning drive as he had legendary Hall-of-Fame quarterback Dan Marino in the building. It was a significant moment for any football fan to witness the meeting between these two competitors. Purdy wears the number 13 jersey because it is Dan Marino’s number. He grew up idolizing Marino and it was a very emotional scene watching the two shake hands as Marino’s records appearing next to his name loomed high in the rafters of Hard Rock Stadium. The stage was set for a 4th quarter comeback, the kind that Marino so epicly dialed up on so many occasions.
Doing it with Game-Changing Takeaways
Miami Head Coach Mike McDaniel emphasized takeaways during his halftime interview: “We need to play takeaway football and penalty-free football.” His defense delivered the first part of that mantra. Heralded NFL veteran Calais Campbell hit Brock Purdy, minimizing the velocity of his throw and leaving a weak, loopy ball in the air that ended up being easy pickings for Miami nickelback Kader Kohou. It is no wonder that his coaches call 38-year-old Calais Campbell a “modern marvel.” Campbell’s game-breaking play effectively sealed the game. “I was proud of my guys,” Campbell quipped. “We kept believing and kept fighting. As long as we’re alive, we’re going to act like we’re alive.”
Unlike the San Francisco side that was eliminated from playoff contention, the Miami Dolphins still have a chance to make the playoffs. Campbell proved that he believes this when he affirmed, “We have a lot of fight left in us. If we have a chance, we’re going to fight for it.” No matter how the Dolphins end this 2024 season, the play of a man who is such a consummate fighter, and who refuses to give in to father time sends South Florida tidal waves that resound throughout the NFL.
Yes, as fans, we love this league that we know is dominated by the very young. NFL players average a career duration of only five years. The average age of an NFL player is a very young 26. Yet when the game is on the line – at the most crucial time of the season – it is a veteran of no younger than 38 years old that embodies the most competitive assets we dream of in our football heroes.