Focus on Dolphins: Miami taking page from Warriors’ philosophy heading into 49ers game
There is something vaguely familiar about what is going on with the Miami Dolphins and it has nothing to do with football.
It stars Brian Flores as Mark Jackson and Mike McDaniel as Steve Kerr.
Flores (Jackson) builds a foundation of defense for a franchise that needs it and over his last two seasons wins more than he loses. He is sent packing anyway. McDaniel (Kerr) brings in a creative offensive system to take advantage of young quarterback (or point guard).
Neither McDaniel nor Kerr had ever been a head coach, and both are funny and clever, and enjoy the give-and-take with the media. They remake the offense into something special to go along with the defensive upgrade which was done by their predecessor.
The success is not only instant, but fast-paced, daring and fun to watch.
Miami is 8-3 going into Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium against the 49ers. There are no assurances the Dolphins and McDaniel will reach the heights Kerr and the Warriors did in winning an NBA title in their first year together in 2014-15.
Playing the role of Stephen Curry is quarterback Tua Tagovaiola, and although Curry was much further along in terms of respect and production, he took it to another level under Kerr.
Tagovaiola, despite an early-season scare and controversy over a frightening concussion, is a legitimate contender for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Considered a potential bust in some circles, Tagovaiola has thrived in McDaniel’s system as well as his ultra-positive approach.
McDaniel even described Tagovaiola as a point guard and concentrated on removing the negativity from his first two seasons.
“There’s a lot of loud noise going on that you try to ignore, but people are human,” McDaniel said.
The trusted lieutenant under coach Kyle Shanahan during stops in Houston, Washington, Atlanta and finally with the 49ers, McDaniel is a contender for the NFL’s Coach of the Year. He vowed to avoid talking excessively about his time with Shanahan and the 49ers.
“I promise you that next week will not be about me. I refuse for that to happen,” McDaniel said Sunday after a 30-15 win over the Houston Texans. “This is about the Miami Dolphins and trying to string another win together because tomorrow I’ll be excited to go after nine wins. Right now I’m just excited about eight.”
With that as a backdrop, sizing up the Dolphins-49ers in Week 13:
GAME ESSENTIALS: Dolphins (8-3) vs. 49ers (7-4) at Levi’s Stadium, 1:05 p.m. ODDS: 49ers (-3 1/2)
THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS’ OPTIMISM
More time in the system
Both coaches will go out of their way to make about something other than themselves while privately craving victory more than for the moment when they meet eyeball to eyeball at the postgame handshake.
Shanahan has an offense with more balance and his core players have been in the system longer.
On balance, Shanahan has the better roster, the better defense and he’s been a head coach longer. He rates an edge.
Defense on a roll
The 49ers added a scoreless first half to go with a scoreless second half (for the fourth straight time) against the Saints.
Middle linebacker Fred Warner is at the top of his game and he wants people to know it, even taking to Twitter to boost his own candidacy for the Pro Bowl. Dre Greenlaw is the epitome of a modern outside linebacker in that he looks and covers like a safety but is a sure and fierce tackler.
Giving up just 15.7 points per game, it’s the best 49ers defense since they went 14-2 in 1992 and gave up 14.8 in terms of points allowed.
They’re as good as their press clippings. Maybe better.
Offensive bounce back
Since Christian McCaffrey arrived and the 49ers’ offense awakened with 31 points in Week 10, they’ve been hitting their stride every other week.
They got 22 points against the Chargers (settling for three chip-shot field goals) after the bye, then exploded for 38 against Arizona. Then came a 13-point effort against New Orleans. The 49ers were coming off a short week and Shanahan isn’t above playing to his defense and playing it safe on offense.
Figure that they’ll score more points against Miami because they’ll need more points and be back in the 30s again.
THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS’ PESSIMISM
Victory is not mandatory
Nobody associated with the 49ers would ever admit this, but they don’t have to win this game.
It’s against an AFC team and likely won’t have a huge bearing on where they wind up so long as they win the NFC West. It’s not as important as the following week’s game against Tampa Bay, a potential NFC playoff team. And not nearly as big as Seattle the week after in a game where they could put the division in a chokehold.
If Shanahan wants to limit touches for McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, he can. He can hold back Arik Armstead another week regardless of how he practices. And the 49ers’ players, although they’d reject the notion outright, fully understand there isn’t a ton at stake in terms of the big picture.
The ex-49ers factor
On one hand, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft aren’t on the 49ers anymore because they weren’t deemed worthy of the current roster.
Which gives them all the reason in the world to pretend they were disrespected and take their play to another level against the 49ers.
Let’s also not discount the possibility that McDaniel and former 49ers assistant Jon Embree (tight ends) might know a thing or two about their former team that could swing a close game in their direction.
Here we go again
Elijah Mitchell is out until the playoffs, assuming the 49ers make it that far. McCaffrey is being monitored because of knee irritation. Jimmy Garoppolo got knocked around pretty good against Miami. Armstead may be another week away.
When the 49ers actually went a few weeks without injury, it had a mirage-like quality to it. More injury issues were inevitable.
POSSIBLE DIFFERENCE MAKER: WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
Hill has 87 receptions for 1,233 yards and four touchdowns. Waddle has 56 receptions for 963 yards and six touchdowns. No duo in the NFL is more explosive and McDaniel has put together a system that plays to their strengths and ability to sprint past defenders in space. Neither of the 49ers’ starting safeties, Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson, is known for flat-out speed.