October 8, 2020
The players are back to work for the second day of 49ers preparations as Week 5 kicks off tonight in Chicago – it goes by faster every year, doesn't it? We'll hear from Coach Brian Flores, a few Dolphins players and get you ready for game day with the Dolphins-49ers preview later today on Drive Time with Travis Wingfield and on MiamiDolphins.com
Here's what else is happening today in Davie.
Injury Report
The Dolphins listed nine players on the Wednesday report.
Full participation: safeties Clayton Fejedelem (pectoral) and Kavon Frazier (shoulder), cornerback Xavien Howard (knee)
Limited participation: cornerback Byron Jones (groin/Achilles), guard Solomon Kindley (foot), wide receiver DeVante Parker (ankle)
Did not participate: defensive end Shaq Lawson (shoulder/illness), tight end Durham Smythe (knee), tackle Austin Jackson (foot)
The 49ers listed 11 players on their Wednesday injury report:
Limited participation: quarterback Jimmy Garappolo (ankle), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quadricep), running back Raheem Mostert (knee), cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring), and wide receivers Trent Taylor (ankle) and Dante Pettis (knee)
Did not practice: defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (biceps), safety Jimmie Ward (wrist) and cornerbacks K'Wuan Williams (knee/hip), Dontae Johnson (groin) and Emmanuel Moseley (concussion)
They Said It
Jesse Davis is the longest-tenured member of the Dolphins offensive line. He's the only member of the group that was here in 2018 when Kris Kocurek coached the Miami defensive line. Kocurek is now in San Francisco where he coached the line responsible for the fifth-most sacks in the NFL a season ago.
Wednesday, Davis talked about the challenges Kocurek and his line will present the Dolphins' front on Sunday.
"Coach Kocurek is a fiery guy. I remember him hooting and hollering and everything," Davis said. "Great guy, great coach. That's what we're going to expect. We're going to expect this d-line to have a lot energy, a lot of passion for the game. It's up to us, really, to make sure we do our job right, keep (Ryan Fitzpatrick) clean and keep our running backs moving forward, and (if we do that), I think we have a good chance of beating these guys."
From the longest-tenured member of the line to one of the newest, Davis discussed the leadership style of himself and Miami's left guard, Ereck Flowers.
"Ereck kind of stays in his lane and goes to work every day. He leads by example," Davis said. "He's always on time, he's always there to help if somebody asks him for help. Some guys are different. I'm the same way. I don't really sit there and try to 'rah, rah' everybody around me. If something needs to be said, then we'll say it."
Around the Beat
Eric Rowe made the switch to safety after the Dolphins bye week in 2019. The former Utah Ute played free safety in college, but was a cornerback through the first four seasons of his career. He signed with the Dolphins in 2019 as a corner but finished the season playing safety over the final 12 games.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote about Rowe's ability to erase opposing tight ends, and the big challenge ahead with the San Francisco 49ers and George Kittle.
Fortunately for Miami, tight ends have done precious little harm to Miami during the 16-game sample size since coaches wisely moved Eric Rowe from cornerback to safety last October.
Dolphins On Social
On this Day in Dolphins History
October 8, 1995 -- Dan Marino passes Fran Tarkenton (3,686 completions) to become the NFL's all-time leader in career pass completions with a six-yard toss to fullback Keith Byars during the Dolphins' 27-24 overtime loss at Joe Robbie Stadium.
Stat of the Day
DeVante Parker's next 100-yard game will be the 10th of his career. Parker would become the eighth receiver in team history with double-digit 100-yard performances. He's coming off a career high in receptions with 10 in the 31-23 loss to Seattle.
Know the Opponent
No team in the NFL utilizes two-back sets more than the San Francisco 49ers. One of the first free agent signings of the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era back in 2017, fullback Kyle Juszczyk has played more snaps (125) than any other player at his position this season. Of the offense's 263 snaps, 122 (46.6 percent) have come from two-back sets.
Content On Tap
Ereck Flowers signed a free agent contract this offseason to return back to his hometown and play for his childhood team. Today, we'll detail Ereck Flowers' quiet leadership, on-field production, and coming back to where it all began.
Week 5 kicks off tonight on Thursday Night Football; that means another preview edition of the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield and the written preview on MiamiDolphins.com. We'll also update Dolphins fans on the latest including injuries and player quotes from this Thursday in Davie.
