5 winners (and 2 losers) from 49ers' lopsided home victory over Dolphins

For about a quarter-plus, it seemed the lowly Miami Dolphins might actually hang in there and make it a game against the San Francisco 49ers. Yet quarterback Brock Purdy and Co. kept finding an offensive rhythm, ultimately finding the end zone on their first five possessions, and the Niners tore things wide open in the third quarter en route to a 35-13 victory.

While it seemed like a lopsided affair (it was), San Francisco still has some glaring concerns that could turn into bigger problems against better competition.

Demarcus Robinson's ankle injury thins out the wide receiver depth chart even further, and the interior run defense remains questionable, at best.

That said, the 49ers beat up on a team they should've soundly beaten, which is precisely what head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad needed to do.

Let's take a look at five winners and two losers from the hope-opening tilt.

5 winners and 2 losers from 49ers' win over Dolphins

Winner: QB Brock Purdy

Purdy was nearly perfect, going 20-of-22 passing for 287 yards, two passing touchdowns and another one on the ground.

Sure, he might be going up against subpar competition. But Purdy's first two games of the year put him squarely in the MVP conversation.

Especially plays like this where he connected via a naked bootleg with wide receiver Mike Evans on one of the prettiest touch passes yet seen this season:

Purdy seems to be elevating those around him, which stands in contrast to the stale takes of him being carried by his supporting cast and coaching staff.

A few more performances like these, and the haters will be grasping at straws.

WInner: TE George Kittle

Tight end George Kittle looked sluggish in Week 1's victory over the Los Angeles Rams, and he admitted as much.

But, in the third quarter, the All-Pro came alive and ultimately helped unlock the full potential of the Niners' passing attack. It seemed as if Shanahan had little trouble getting Kittle open, and Purdy had no issue targeting his fan-favorite tight end.

Kittle finished with a team-high four catches for 80 yards and a wide-open touchdown—his first of the year.

Loser: WR Brandon Aiyuk

Losing Robinson is tough, especially considering he's been an unsung hero of the offense these opening two weeks.

Shanahan subsequently told reporters San Francisco would explore adding another wideout, either to the 53-man roster or the practice squad, relatively soon. But, when asked if the 49ers would possibly consider re-adding the still-on-the-reserve/left squad-list Brandon Aiyuk, Shanahan's answer was blunt and simple.

"No."

One can only wonder if Aiyuk had swallowed his pride and attempted to work things out with the Niners last offseason.

Instead, he's getting left behind and is now relegated as an afterthought, even if San Francisco needs receivers.

Winner: DT Gracen Halton

The 49ers have relied heavily on several of their rookies already over the first two weeks, but Week 2 might as well have been defensive tackle Gracen Halton's coming-out party.

The fourth-rounder seemed to be everywhere on interior plays: stuffing runs, creating pressure, knocking offensive linemen to the ground, etc. And to get some callouts from the Fox broadcast crew, it certainly had to feel good.

Halton had five combined tackles, one of which was for a loss, but the stat sheet doesn't show his full impact for a Niners defensive line that still boasts several questions.

Winner: WR KhaDarel Hodge

No one hopes for injuries, but they ultimately do paint opportunities for others.

While Robinson and the rest of San Francisco's receiving corps is at a loss in light of his injury, it appears the initial beneficiary could be the seldom-discussed KhaDarel Hodge, whom the 49ers called up from the practice squad in light of fellow receiver De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) being sent to injured reserve.

Hodge even caught a pass for 18 yards, which helps him in his case to ascend the depth chart, if needed.

Loser: 49ers run defense

If the Niners would've been unable to open things up after halftime, the Dolphins assuredly would've continued to rely on running back De’Von Achane, who made life more than difficult for San Francisco's defense in the first half.

Achane and the rest of Miami's ground attack amassed 84 rush yards in the first two quarters, and this led to the Dolphins stringing together a handful of long drives, even if they failed to result in substantial points.

That said, and in light of Miami's own offensive line woes, getting gashed by what's supposed to be a lackluster offense on the ground isn't a good look and something the 49ers will need to figure out.

Fast.

Winner: RB Christian McCaffrey

Sure, running back Christian McCaffrey was held to an average of just 2.3 yards per carry on the ground, yet his impact went far beyond the yardage he churned out trying to run the ball.

Of course, he had those two rushing touchdowns, and the Niners have little issue giving him the ball in those short-yardage scoring situations. Tallying four catches for 43 yards, too, shows how vital he still is to San Francisco's offense, overall, though.

Oh, and McCaffrey became only the third player in NFL history to score 50-plus touchdowns with two different franchises, joining wide receiver Randy Moss and running back Marshall Faulk in the elite club.

That's a win, for sure.

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