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Five 49ers to watch in Week 16 game vs. high-powered Dolphins originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
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.
“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
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…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-49ers-watch-week-16-172616355.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-12-20 17:26:00
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