The 49ers’ defense is coming off its best game of the season.
And after keeping the Los Angeles Rams out of the end zone in Week 15, the 49ers face another stiff challenge against Mike McDaniel's high-powered Miami Dolphins.
The 49ers’ defense seems to be tightening up down the stretch under first-year defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. The team has gotten a boost from getting safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw back in the lineup.
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“Those are two of the better players I've been around, and two of the better players on our team, and two of the main reasons we've had the success here we've had," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Hopefully, we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they're as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I could think of."
Hufanga and Greenlaw are scheduled for free agency at the end of the season, and they get another chance Sunday against the Dolphins to prove their worth to the 49ers.
Those two individuals highlight the list of five 49ers to watch on Sunday afternoon:
S Talanoa Hufanga
San Francisco 49ers
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Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha started most of the season at the 49ers’ safety positions. Those two young players experienced mixed results.
Upon Hufanga’s return to action in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears, the 49ers’ defense received quite a lift. Hufanga, a fourth-year player, seemed to bring an added layer of communication and confidence to the 49ers’ defense.
Hufanga’s 2023 season ended in November with a torn ACL. He missed the first two games this season before sustaining a wrist injury that kept him out of action for two months. But he has not shown any signs of rust in his return.
Hufanga will be entrusted to keep the 49ers’ defensive backfield on the same page, which will be important against Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who leads the NFL with an outrageous completion percentage of 73.7.
LB Dre Greenlaw
The 49ers found their defensive identity in the Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Rams, says cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.
It is no coincidence that it was also the game in which Greenlaw returned to action 10 months after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl.
Greenlaw registered eight tackles while playing 30 snaps in a 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He sat out the second half as a precaution after he experienced some discomfort in his knee. He is back in action this week, and the 49ers will again look to him to provide a spark for the team’s surging defense.
Greenlaw will be tested against a stable of Dolphins running backs that includes Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright.
WR Ricky Pearsall
Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall got off to a good start after missing the first six games of the season while recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest.
In his third game, Pearsall caught four passes for 73 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But in his past five games, Pearsall has just two receptions for 21 yards.
During that stretch, the 49ers played one game with backup quarterback Brandon Allen, one game in a blizzard in Buffalo and another in a steady downpour at Levi’s Stadium.
The conditions should be favorable on Sunday for Pearsall, who played his final two years of college football at Florida. This should be an opportunity for quarterback Brock Purdy to get the ball into the hands of the 49ers’ first-round draft pick.
CB Charvarius Ward
It appears unlikely veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward will be back next season, but he would like to finish the season strong to set himself up for free agency.
And there’s no bigger test for a cornerback than going up against the speed of the Miami Dolphins’ wide receivers, particularly Tyreek Hill.
Hill is an eight-time Pro Bowl performer who has been selected as an All-Pro five times. He is experiencing a bit of a down season with 67 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns, but he has not lost his big-play ability.
Ward has dealt with personal tragedy with the death of his young daughter in late-October. He is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the offseason, and it appears the 49ers will not be able to re-sign him.
Ward, 28, just now appears to be rounding back into football shape as the season is winding down.
RB Patrick Taylor
After appearing in 44 regular-season games, running back Patrick Taylor is in line for his first NFL start on Sunday.
Taylor is next up with rookie running back Isaac Guerendo battling hamstring and foot issues that will keep him out of action.
Taylor will be the 49ers’ fourth different starting running back this season, following Jordan Mason, Christian McCaffrey and Guerendo.
The 49ers’ offensive philosophy does not figure to change. Shanahan will still strive for a 50-50 run-pass balance.
Taylor spent his first three NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. In the final game of his rookie year, he had career-highs with 11 carries for 53 yards.
He should have a strong chance to exceed those numbers on Sunday.