5 most exciting matchups 49ers could open with in Week 1
By Peter Panacy
Ideal Week 1 matchup: 49ers @ Dolphins
There are those who'd argue the Miami Dolphins are turning into a San Francisco-like squad of the AFC, especially under Kyle Shanahan's offensive protege, head coach Mike McDaniel.
We already saw McDaniel's squad visit the 49ers two seasons ago, a game that saw Niners then-rookie quarterback Brock Purdy take his first snaps as a pro after watching now-Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo go down with what turned into a season-ending foot injury.
Purdy helped San Francisco win that game, ushering in an era in which he would become one of the NFL's fastest-rising stars.
Sure, it'd be fun to watch Purdy against Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. And it's always fun to see another former face in Miami's running back, Raheem Mostert.
But the intrigue from this matchup stems from watching both Shanahan and McDaniel try and outperform the other in a game that should see plenty of offensive creativity and playmaking between two legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Not a bad way to go when thinking about potential Week 1 showdowns.