Dolphins must lean on small victories after being overmatched for a second straight game

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Much of this season for the Miami Dolphins will be about small victories — even if actual wins are hard to come by.

Miami stayed close to the San Francisco 49ers for the first half on Sunday. But contending for four quarters with a star-studded roster featuring All-Pros like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Nick Bosa was too hard a task for the young Dolphins.

“I think the game was really a tale of two halves,” Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said. “If you want to look at the whole game, I thought our guys came out. I thought we showed improvement. I thought we played hard. … It hit us in the face really hard in the second half, and we just didn’t coach well enough. We didn’t play well enough. So, really disappointing.

“I thought we had a great week of preparation and I felt like we were ready to play better, and in the first half we did. In the second half, just not good enough in any phase.”

A small victory in the 35-13 loss: Quarterback Malik Willis has shown an ability to put the offense in good positions despite the unit’s inability to finish drives. His lone touchdown Sunday came with the game already out of reach when he connected with Ryan Miller for a 77-yard score in the fourth.

Willis has barely had enough time to make plays because he’s been under constant pressure the first two games of the season.

Another small victory on a Dolphins defense that has otherwise been woeful has been rookie safety Michael Taaffe, who had an interception last week and finished with a team-high nine tackles Sunday. Taaffe also came closest to sacking quarterback Brock Purdy with a pressure in the second half that caused an intentional grounding.

The Dolphins will likely have more results like they’ve seen in the first two weeks, but in a season where wins won’t be the focus, finding young players like Taaffe who could be key pieces to build around will be a priority.

What’s working

De’Von Achane had 20 carries compared to just 11 last week and the Dolphins moved the ball well in the first half as a result. They moved into San Francisco territory on their first three drives, but those possessions ended in three field goal attempts by Riley Patterson, one of which he missed.

What needs help

Special teams is an obvious area that needs improvement. In addition to miscues that have allowed big returns in the first two matchups, Patterson missed his second field goal in two games and punter Bradley Pinion dropped a snap in the third quarter that resulted in a two-play touchdown drive by the 49ers. Miami also hasn’t been able to generate any pressure on opposing quarterbacks through the first two games. Hafley said he tried multiple different pressure packages against the 49ers, and none worked. San Francisco scored touchdowns on each of its first five possessions, and Purdy finished with just two incompletions while completing 18 straight passes during one stretch.

Stock up

The run game. The Dolphins had 84 yards rushing with Achane averaging 4.4 yards per carry in the first half. That helped Miami sustain drives and limit the 49ers’ potent offense to just two possessions through the first two quarters.

Stock down

Offensive line. That unit struggled in run blocking in Week 1 against Las Vegas and couldn’t hold up against San Francisco’s pass rush on Sunday. Veteran right tackle Austin Jackson has really struggled with tough matchups against Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa the first two weeks.

Injuries

Hafley did not have an update on WR Caleb Douglas, who left with an ankle injury. … LB Chop Robinson missed Sunday’s game, but is progressing through the concussion protocol. … RB Jaylen Wright (stinger) is day to day.

Key number

9 — The number of sacks Miami has allowed while failing to produce a sack through the first two games.

Next steps

The Dolphins will face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs their home opener on Sunday.

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