{"id":470521,"date":"2026-09-21T03:02:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T03:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/470521\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T03:02:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T03:02:58","slug":"49ers-defeat-dolphins-35-13-in-home-opener-takeaways-from-miavssf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/470521\/","title":{"rendered":"49ers Defeat Dolphins 35-13 in Home Opener; Takeaways from #MIAvsSF"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The San Francisco 49ers secured their first win at Levi&#8217;s\u00ae Stadium of the 2026 season, defeating the Miami Dolphins 35-13 in their home opener. The Week 2 matchup marked the 17th all-time meeting between the two franchises and a rematch of Super Bowl XIX.<\/p>\n<p>With the win, San Francisco improved to 2-0 for the fifth time since 2019, joining the 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 seasons.<\/p>\n<p>Here are five takeaways from the 49ers Week 2 victory over the Dolphins:<\/p>\n<p>1. Purdy Delivers Sharp Performance in Home Opener<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/brock-purdy\/\" title=\"Brock Purdy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brock Purdy<\/a> delivered an efficient performance in the 49ers home opener, completing 20-of-22 passing attempts for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Purdy also made an impact with his legs, rushing three times for 30 yards and a touchdown.<\/p>\n<p>Purdy&#8217;s rushing score came midway through the second quarter. After scrambling for gains of 10 and 18 yards earlier in the drive, Purdy connected with wide receiver <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/demarcus-robinson\/\" title=\"Demarcus Robinson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Demarcus Robinson<\/a> for 19 yards to set San Francisco up at Miami&#8217;s four-yard line. Two plays later, Purdy scrambled into the end zone from two yards out to give the 49ers a 14-3 lead.<\/p>\n<p>The fifth-year quarterback added two touchdown passes in the third quarter, connecting with tight end <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/george-kittle\/\" title=\"George Kittle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">George Kittle<\/a> for a 12-yard score and fullback <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/kyle-juszczyk\/\" title=\"Kyle Juszczyk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Juszczyk<\/a> for a six-yard touchdown.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He was real sharp. He was on point,&#8221; head coach Kyle Shanahan said. &#8220;Got the ball to all the right spots.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Running back <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/christian-mccaffrey\/\" title=\"Christian McCaffrey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Christian McCaffrey<\/a> also praised Purdy&#8217;s command of the offense following the win.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s unbelievable how decisive he is, how good he is at throwing on time, and then also creating when he has to,&#8221; McCaffrey said. &#8220;When he&#8217;s at the helm, we feel good.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>2. McCaffrey Reaches 100 Career Touchdowns<\/p>\n<p>McCaffrey reached a major career milestone on Sunday, scoring twice to bring his career total to 100 touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>The running back scored the 99th touchdown of his career on San Francisco&#8217;s opening possession, capping a 12-play, 59-yard drive with a one-yard rushing score. McCaffrey was also a frequent target for Purdy on the drive, catching an 11-yard pass and 16-yard pass.<\/p>\n<p>McCaffrey leaped in his 100th touchdown late in the third quarter. Following Purdy&#8217;s 27-yard completion to wide receiver <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/mike-evans\/\" title=\"Mike Evans\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Evans<\/a> that brought the offense to the one-yard line, McCaffrey punched in his second touchdown of the day.<\/p>\n<p>McCaffrey finished the game with 10 carries for 23 yards and two touchdowns while adding four receptions for 43 yards.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Christian had a hell of a day and a big accomplishment,&#8221; Shanahan said.<\/p>\n<p>3. Kittle Provides a Spark in the Second Half<\/p>\n<p>In just his second game back from an Achilles injury, Kittle came out from halftime with fire.<\/p>\n<p>On the first offensive play of the third quarter, Purdy connected with Kittle over the middle for a 40-yard gain to the Dolphins 25-yard line. Kittle shook a defender off and picked up several yards after the catch. Three plays later, the duo connected again, this time for a 12-yard touchdown to complete a four-play, 65-yard scoring drive and extend San Francisco&#8217;s lead to 21-6.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They brought a double corner blitz which opened the middle up, and George saw it and took it,&#8221; Shanahan said of the 40-yard completion. &#8220;You can see how explosive he was after the catch and how hard he is to bring down.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Kittle added a 26-yard reception late in the third quarter and finished as the 49ers leading receiver with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.<\/p>\n<p>The veteran tight end also reached another career milestone on Sunday, recording his 600th-career reception.<\/p>\n<p>4. 49ers Pass Rush Brought the Pressure<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers defense kept the pressure on Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis throughout Sunday&#8217;s matchup, bringing him down four times with contributions from across the defense.<\/p>\n<p>Linebacker <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/fred-warner\/\" title=\"Fred Warner\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fred Warner<\/a> and cornerback <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/upton-stout\/\" title=\"Upton Stout\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Upton Stout<\/a> combined for the 49ers first sack of the afternoon, dropping Willis for a four-yard loss in the second quarter. Defensive lineman <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/romello-height\/\" title=\"Romello Height\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Romello Height<\/a>\u00a0followed on the next play, recording a sack on Willis again and forcing Miami to settle for a field goal.<\/p>\n<p>Safety <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/marques-sigle\/\" title=\"Marques Sigle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marques Sigle<\/a> also added to the pressure, sacking Willis for a five-yard loss in the third quarter. Defensive lineman\u00a0<a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/keion-white\/\" title=\"Keion White\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Keion White<\/a> got in on the action and recorded the fourth and final sack in the fourth quarter, dropping Willis for a six-yard loss on third down.<\/p>\n<p>Defensive lineman <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/nick-bosa\/\" title=\"Nick Bosa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Bosa<\/a> also generated pressure throughout the day, adding to an effective 49ers pass rush.<\/p>\n<p>5. 49ers Spread the Wealth on Offense<\/p>\n<p>San Francisco&#8217;s offense received contributions from across the roster in Sunday&#8217;s win, with seven different players recording a reception.<\/p>\n<p>Kittle led the group with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, followed by Evans with three receptions for 54 yards. McCaffrey added four catches for 43 yards, while Robinson, Juszczyk, and wide receivers <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/deebo-samuel\/\" title=\"Deebo Samuel Sr.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Deebo Samuel Sr.<\/a> and <a class=\"nfl-o-cta--link nfl-o-cta--underline\" style=\"word-break:break-word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.49ers.com\/team\/players-roster\/khadarel-hodge\/\" title=\"KhaDarel Hodge\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">KhaDarel Hodge<\/a> also contributed through the air.<\/p>\n<p>Four different 49ers found the end zone against Miami. McCaffrey scored twice on the ground, Purdy added a rushing touchdown, and Kittle and Juszczyk each hauled in touchdown receptions.<\/p>\n<p>Up Next<\/p>\n<p>Following back-to-back wins to open the 2026 season, the 49ers will play the second game in their three-game homestand for Week 3, welcoming NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals to Levi&#8217;s\u00ae Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The San Francisco 49ers secured their first win at Levi&#8217;s\u00ae Stadium of the 2026 season, defeating the Miami&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470522,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[879,51513,878,39909,57264,809,810,297,8757,22029,178657,15136,808,122537,100,813,11453,807,122155,101,103,102,814,104,106,105,10670],"class_list":["post-470521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-brock-purdy","tag-brooke-evans","tag-christian-mccaffrey","tag-deebo-samuel","tag-demarcus-robinson","tag-english","tag-english-articles","tag-fred-warner","tag-george-kittle","tag-keion-white","tag-khadarel-hodge","tag-kyle-juszczyk","tag-latest-app","tag-marques-sigle","tag-news","tag-news-niners-notes","tag-nick-bosa","tag-ninersfeed","tag-romello-height","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sap","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news","tag-upton-stout"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}