While the Miami Dolphins will keep a watchful eye on their talent for the remainder of this week to see which of their banged up players will be healthy enough to play on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, the team will also need to keep a close eye on their Week 5 opponent to see which of their players are going to miss the contest as well. For as banged up as Miami feels right now with WR DeVante Parker, LT Austin Jackson and CB Byron Jones (among others), the 49ers have been torn to shreds with injuries.
They may be getting some of that talent back this week, but they’ll be missing plenty more than the Dolphins. Would it be enough to tip this game in Miami’s favor? Here is an updated snapshot of where San Francisco’s injured talent is.
Definitely Out
- Defensive end Nick Bosa
- Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas
- Defensive end Dee Ford
- Center Weston Richburg
- Running back Tevin Coleman
- Tight end Jordan Reed
- Wide receiver Jalen Hurd
Bosa, Thomas, Ford and Richburg are prominent losses for the 49ers. With Miami’s left tackle situation up in the air, the 49ers not having three of their top threats on the edge will be a big boost for Miami’s offensive aspirations against San Francisco.
But wait, there’s more!
Maybe Out
The 49ers are likely looking at playing the Dolphins without several pieces in the secondary as well, plus another one of their backs out of the backfield. The 49ers have played 3 games without standout CB Richard Sherman — and while he’s eligible to return it seems more likely that Miami will miss playing the star cornerback this week as well.
Shanahan says that both Richard Sherman and Raheem Mostert will likely return for the Rams game in Week 6, but there’s a chance for a pleasant surprise and a Week 5 return against Miami for both #49ers
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 5, 2020
- Running back Raheem Mostert
- Cornerback Richard Sherman
- Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley
- Safety Jimmie Ward
Ward insisted on social media that he is good — but Coach Kyle Shanahan’s words for both Mostert and Sherman seem to indicate that at least several of the questionable players for today’s game will not get the call.
And after all that talent, there’s still an even bigger presence that is questionable to play against Miami…
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo returned to practice this week for San Francisco on a limited basis but he has not played the last two games for the 49ers with an ankle injury. And, even if he does play, his lack of full health may play into Miami’s hand as they try to get after the passer and keep the 49ers offense off schedule. Even with all of the injuries, this is a tough game for the Dolphins.
But it does set the table for Miami to potentially benefit from a lack of health from their Week 5 opponent as they search for their second win of the season.
