49ers observations: Brock Purdy cooks Dolphins in easy win

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Quarterback Brock Purdy looked like Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino in the 49ers' 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Purdy completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdown passes with a 149.1 pass rating, helping San Francisco improve to 2-0 this season.

The 26-year-old signal-caller also led the 49ers in rushing with 30 yards and a touchdown on three carries.

Christian McCaffrey only had 23 yards on 10 carries, but he scored twice, notching his 99th and 100th career touchdowns.

Tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk each added touchdown receptions in the win.

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The 49ers host the 1-1 Arizona Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. PT next Sunday.

Here are the takeaways from San Francisco's win over Miami:

Purdy brings ground attack, too

The 49ers made the most of their two first-half possessions with two touchdowns. Purdy had only two third-down opportunities in the first 30 minutes and converted both.

He was also the 49ers’ leading rusher in the first half with three carries for 30 yards.

Purdy showed his ability to make plays with his legs, scrambling around left end for an 18-yard gain on the 49ers’ second drive. And he capped that possession with a 2-yard scramble.

The 49ers pulled away on their first drive of the third quarter behind Purdy’s arm. Kittle was not targeted in the first half, but that changed early in the second half. He caught a 40-yard pass from Purdy. That play set those two up for another connection that went for 12 yards and a touchdown to give the 49ers a 21-6 lead.

Purdy’s first career touchdown pass was against the Dolphins on Dec. 4, 2022, when he entered in relief of injured Jimmy Garoppolo. His first career scoring pass was a 3-yard toss to Juszczyk. On Sunday, he gave the 49ers a 28-6 lead with a seemingly identical play to Juszczyk for a 6-yard score.

49ers’ run defense challenged

The 49ers came out with a five-man defensive line because they knew the Dolphins would try to run the ball early and often.

The 49ers knew it was coming, and they still had a difficult time stopping it.

Running back De’Von Achane, the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher last season, got fed the ball a lot in the first half. The Dolphins challenged the 49ers to stop the run, and San Francisco's run defense did not rise to the challenge.

As a result, the 49ers’ defense could not get off the field in the first half. Miami’s three offensive possessions resulted in drives of eight plays, 16 plays and 11 plays.

While the Dolphins ran 35 offensive plays in the first half, they kept the 49ers’ offense off the field. San Francisco had only two first-half possessions.

Receiver depth tested

The 49ers’ string of wide receiver injuries continued in the first half Sunday, as veteran Demarcus Robinson exited with an ankle injury. He needed help getting off the field and was carted back to the locker room area for further observation.

Robinson was ruled out for the remainder of the game as the second half began.

The 49ers once had good depth at receiver. Now? Not so much.

Ricky Pearsall is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery in August. Christian Kirk went on injured reserve from a calf injury he sustained on the first day of training camp. In Week 1, rookie De’Zhaun Stribling tore an ankle ligament, which required surgery on Wednesday.

Kirk and Stribling are expected back this season. Kirk could be available as early as Week 5, while the 49ers are eyeing a late-November return for Stribling.

In the meantime, the 49ers could also turn to second-year player Jordan Watkins, who was declared inactive for the first two games of the season.

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