Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 255

Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ loss to the Dolphins was the perfect encapsulation of an imperfect season

If you were blessed to miss the first 15 games of the 49ers’ 2024 season, San Francisco gave you a Cliff Notes version of it Sunday in Miami.

The 29-17 loss to the Dolphins perfectly encapsulated the campaign: statistically strong but fundamentally rotten.

On Sunday, the Niners averaged more yards per play than the Dophins. San Francisco’s defense held Miami to 4-of-12 on third downs and only one red-zone touchdown in three tries.

Check a spreadsheet, and the Niners did well.

It’s too bad football isn’t played on a spreadsheet.

On the actual grass, in a game played by well-compensated men, the Niners were a disaster. Sunday’s game brought another string of injuries and some of the worst situational football you’ll ever see on both sides of the ball, resulting in a loss.

Yes, Sunday’s performance was the same kind of game that was explained away early in the season, bemoaned in the fall and has become unavoidable in the twilight of the campaign.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) is tackled by Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (25) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Niners had 11 penalties for 90 critical yards, doubling up a not-exactly-buttoned-up Dolphins squad in that category. They couldn’t run the ball, which was supposed to be head coach and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s whole “thing.” They converted only 5-of-14 third and fourth-down situations, and Brock Purdy, playing behind a backup offensive line, threw a game-sealing interception with two minutes to play.

I’m getting second-hand embarrassment just typing this stuff.

“No matter what’s going on, when you have those penalties like that, you don’t deserve the win. The offense — the biggest thing was lack of concentration,” Shanahan said. “[And] you can’t have three personal fouls on three drives [on defense] in the second half and expect to win.”

And the Niners have not won. It’s hard, after all, to play two opponents every week: the team on the other side of the field and yourself.

That said, I heard many suggest going into Sunday’s Week 16 game that with the Niners playing unburdened games — San Francisco had no chance to make the playoffs before kickoff — they might play their best football. The pressure of a Super Bowl-or-bust season had been lifted; might the team’s play lift, too?

Oh, to be so naive. This kind of stink doesn’t simply wash out.

Indeed, we saw a contest in perfect South Florida conditions that suggested that the Niners cannot help themselves from self-destructive behavior.

In fact, it suggested that these Niners haven’t underperformed all season—they might have overperformed going into Sunday’s game.

San Francisco 49ers place kicker Jake Moody (4) kicks a field goal during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Dolphins entered Sunday’s game in a bad spot. They needed all the help they could get to win and stay in the playoff race. The 49ers provided that kind of help and more.

On the second offensive drive of the game, the Niners stacked a hold, false start and sack, turning a nice bit of early-series momentum into a third-and-23 failure and a punt. Great start, gang!

San Francisco was just getting started.

The Niners followed that with a false start on a second-quarter third down to take a bad situation and make it impossible.

Then the Niners took three points to end the third quarter despite being on the Miami 3-yard line in a six-point game without material meaning in the standings. That was lame.

The all-around failures kept coming in the second half, too.

The Niners spotted the Dolphins 15 yards with an unnecessary roughness penalty on the first play of the half.

Then rookie Ricky Pearsall was flagged twice for illegally lining up to first knock the 49ers out of the red zone and then to wipe out a big third-and-long conversion that took the 49ers to the Miami 2-yard line.

Of course, the Niners missed the field goal at the end of that drive. What else did you expect?

Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball during the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

And down 19-17 in the fourth quarter, the Niners had two more unnecessary roughness penalties, the latter of which was followed by an offside penalty, giving arguably the NFL’s best kicker 20 free yards of field position. Unlike the Niners’ kicker, Jake Moody, Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders made his non-chip kicks on Sunday.

Then the Niners, trailing by five with 2:10 to play, could only muster one play before Purdy, who spent much of this game running for his life — and that’s barely an exaggeration — threw an interception without a 49ers receiver in the vicinity.

Oh, and the Niners also had two more special teams penalties, too. That’s now four in the last two games.

“It’s happened way too many times this year,” Nick Bosa said. “It’s very frustrating all around — offense, defense, special teams. When you have that many penalties, that’s kind of a harbinger of a loss.”

“It’s just bad football, and I don’t put that on Coach Shanahan, I don’t put that on our wide receivers coach and line coach, tight ends coach, that’s on us,” said George Kittle, who caught eight passes for 108 yards and was one of the Niners’ few bright spots. “We know what the formations are, we have to go out there and execute. I messed up one.”

Folks, I hope I’m not the first to tell you this, but this is a bad football team. The 49ers’ rise to excellence — four NFC Championship Games in five years — was rapid. The Niners reached the Super Bowl in Year Three of the Shanahan regime.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walk the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The decline might prove to be even faster.

Sunday’s loss moved the Niners to 6-9 in the 17-game season. At this point, they’d be better off losing the final two games for draft position. The good news is that it seems like a likely output regardless of whether or not the Niners tank the final two games.

But while 2024 being a lost and losing season for the 49ers is certain, what remains unclear is how much they need to do to right the ship whenever it mercifully ends in two weeks.

Maybe Deebo Samuel, who had a renaissance game Sunday, totaling 121 yards and a touchdown, joined Shanahan, Purdy, Kittle, Bosa, Fred Warner and the Niners’ rookie-deal players as the foundation for 2025 and beyond.

Maybe not.

For Samuel and so many other Niners — both on the field and in the coaching ranks — two weeks remain to save their jobs.

Because after Sunday’s disastrous and encapsulating performance, you can easily argue that everything that’s not bolted down should go.

Deebo Samuel Sr. #1 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a first down reception during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

What the 49ers said after losing to the Dolphins

The 49ers lost 29-17 Sunday in Miami, not that it impacted their playoff hopes as they were eliminated from postseason contention just before kickoff when Washington beat Philadelphia.

Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | 49ers’ loss in Miami continues the longest season of Brock Purdy’s life San Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ loss to the Dolphins was the perfect encapsulation of an imperfect season San Francisco 49ers | 49ers Studs and Duds: Where has this Deebo Samuel been all season? San Francisco 49ers | Instant analysis of 49ers’ 29-17 loss to Dolphins amid playoff elimination San Francisco 49ers | Live 49ers updates: Niners take on Dolphins in Miami Brock Purdy threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns, completing 26-of-40 attempts, but his fourth-quarter interception as he was being hit by Calais Campbell ended a potential game-winning drive.

The Niners’ two leading rushers were not running backs, as Purdy amassed 26 yards on four carries and Deebo Samuel ran four times for 25 yards. Patrick Taylor Jr., the starting running back who began the season as a fifth-stringer, had 24 yards on eight carries.

Samuel had a touchdown catch-and-run to add to his 96 yards on seven receptions, while George Kittle had eight catches for 106 yards. Tight end Eric Saubert also caught a touchdown, a 2-yarder that brought the 49ers within two points in the second half.

Eleven penalties for 90 yards and several key injuries bit the 49ers, as linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Dee Winters went down along with offensive linemen Jaylon Moore and Aaron Banks.

Here’s what the 49ers had to say after the loss:

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walk the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)Kyle Shanahan

On Banks’ injury:

They thought it was most likely an MCL.

On whether there’s concern about Greenlaw’s calf:

It can be … He felt tightness in the calf, so once that happened, we shut him down.

On being eliminated from playoffs before kickoff:

I wasn’t aware of that but that did nothing with the game.

On his postgame message to the team:

No matter what’s going on, when you have those penalties like that, you don’t deserve the win. The offense, the biggest thing was lack of concentration. … You can’t have three personal fouls on three drives in the second half and expect to win.

On Purdy’s interception:

It looked like he was going to layer the ball over whoever the nickel was and as he was throwing it he got hit, so he wasn’t able to.

On penalties leading to a missed field goal:

When you got first-and-goal and you make it third and goal at the 18 or whatever that is and you miss a kick, and that’s something that you’ve done on your own, that’s very frustrating.

On his confidence in kicker Jake Moody:

It wasn’t good out there missing that kick. I don’t know exactly what happened on the snap and the hold but he’s got to make it.

On whether returning to the stadium of Super Bowl LIV entered his mind:

It did a little bit when I got into my coaches’ locker room, but nothing with the game or anything.

Calais Campbell #93 of the Miami Dolphins tackles Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)Brock Purdy

On the offensive performance:

Just not good enough. I felt like we hurt ourselves early in the game with some penalties and things, just plays we left out there.

On the interception

I was trying to layer it over that defender to Ricky, and then I just got hit and I couldn’t put enough on the ball that I really wanted to and left it short, and the guy got it.

On the year

It’s just been not clean football across the board. I just feel like we’re hurting ourselves offensively. And then when the defense gets a stop, we got to go and capitalize. Last year, we did that really well the last couple years and we played team football for four quarters and I just felt like we were pretty dominant. And tso this year, it’s just been hit-or-miss and the momentum as a whole team, as a unit has just been OK.

On his mindset amid injuries to the offense:

No matter who’s out there, we have what it takes to win and move the chains and put up points and give our team a chance to win. That’s my mindset. And so that’s why I’m hard on myself. We’ve had some guys that have been banged up and all that, and we haven’t been able to get it done.

On meeting Dan Marino:

We were starting to warm up and he sort of walked over and said ‘Hey man, I just wanted to meet you. Good luck and tell your dad I said hi.’ so that was really neat.

On Kittle and Samuel:

Their character, man, playing with George and Deebo and their heart and fight for our team and just

Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins throws a pass against Maliek Collins #99 and Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Nick Bosa

On the mistakes:

It’s happened way too many times this year and when it rains it pours. It’s very frustrating all around — offense, defense, special teams. when you have that many penalties, that’s kind of a harbinger of loss.

On Greenlaw’s injury:

I felt for him today and he really wanted to play the rest of the year. He’s an incredible player and I think sometimes with him, we need to protect him from himself because he’ll play through anything. sometimes when you go through an injury like that and it’s not ready, I think the best thing for him would be to take it as slow as he can.

On what they’ve learned with this down year:

We’ve learned that this league is very tough and we’ve been the highest of highs for a long time and sometimes things don’t go your way, and a lot of it is because of what w’ve done, obviously. Just have to appreciate playing this game. I don’t think I’ve played a game where we don’t really have a chance in the playoffs, so it was a different feel.

On learning who really wants to be a 49er, as he said last week they’d learn:

It’s very, very evident that the guys who want to be here are going to play really hard and continue to do that. I don’t question anybody on this team but we’re definitely going to be tested the next couple weeks.

On whether he needs to rest with his injuries:

No, I’m good. The oblique’s been brutal but it’s not something that’s worrisome.

George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)George Kittle

On frustration after this game:

It’s just bad football, and I don’t put that on coach Shanahan, I don’t put that on our wide receivers coach and line coach, tight ends coach, that’s on us. We know what the formations are, we have to go out there and execute. I messed up one.

On coming back to Hard Rock Stadium after Super Bowl LIV:

Are you asking me if I have PTSD from that game? No, I had a great time tonight besides the penalties and all that. Great stadium, great atmosphere, good field. I had fun out there besides the outcome of the game, rumbling, bumbling all the way down the field.

On being eliminated from the playoffs:

While we are eliminated, we still have two weeks of football left and you know if I have football in front of me, I’m going to play as hard as I possibly can and I’m going to try to get the guys around me to do the same.

On nearing the 1,000-yard mark:

I set goals for myself before the season. 1,000 yards is one of those goals. You know, I’d rather be in the playoffs but getting 1,000 yards is good.

Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a tackle during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Fred Warner

On the defense:

We did some things good, we did some things not good. Penalties killed us, not taking the ball away. One takeaway in the last five games is just not going to get it done. I challenged the defense at half, saying we needed to take the ball away to win the game, and we didn’t do that, and I put that on myself.

On Greenlaw going down:

We see the difference right, from the last game when he’s out there? That’s my guy. I love going out there to battle with him, but at the end of the day, it’s about saving Dre from himself sometimes too. He’s coming back from a major injury and everybody looks at the last game and how great he was, and it’s like, that’s not normal. He’s dealing with something significant and we got to just protect him from himself sometimes.

On Greenlaw’s mood:

He’s down. Dre’s built the right way — he wants to help us win games.

On the team’s energy after he and Bosa have mentioned the rest of the season would be a test:

We came out with the right intention. I think all across the board, everybody had their mind made up that we were going to come out, we were going to set the tone early, but I mean, it’s a four-quarter football game. That rah-rah stuff only lasts so long. You got to play assignment-sound, execute at a high level and at the end of the day, I look at defensively just keep looking at the takeaways as the difference. When we don’t take the ball away, it’s going to be hard to win.

49ers Studs and Duds: Where has this Deebo Samuel been all season?

You can’t fault the 49ers’ effort in Sunday’s 29-17 loss to the Dolphins.

You can, however, knock the team’s execution — or lack thereof — in the loss.

The 49ers had ample opportunities to win in South Florida — and it’s clear they wanted to win — yet 11 penalties for 90 yards, a missed field goal and terrible situational play on both sides of the ball did San Francisco in.

Have we heard that from the 49ers before?

Oh, right, we’ve heard it nearly every week this season.

Here are the studs and duds from a game that was, overall, a dud:

Studs Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | 49ers’ loss in Miami continues the longest season of Brock Purdy’s life San Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ loss to the Dolphins was the perfect encapsulation of an imperfect season San Francisco 49ers | What the 49ers said after losing to the Dolphins San Francisco 49ers | Instant analysis of 49ers’ 29-17 loss to Dolphins amid playoff elimination San Francisco 49ers | Live 49ers updates: Niners take on Dolphins in Miami

Deebo Samuel • WR

Where has this guy been all season?

Samuel looked like his old self on Sunday, breaking tackles, dragging defenders and making critical plays while chipping in as a running back.

Samuel had seven catches for 96 yards, a touchdown (his second receiving touchdown this season) and added 25 yards on the ground. He broke at least a dozen tackles, too.

If this guy had been playing all year, I wonder where the Niners would be today.

George Kittle • TE

You can always count on Kittle.

The Niners ran some screens for the tight end and it worked again and again and again Sunday. This man is unmatched at the position, catching eight passes for 106 yards despite bleeding throughout the second half.

He’s the 49ers’ MVP.

Ricky Pearsall • WR

Yes, Pearsall. Good things happen when you throw him the ball. I’m glad the 49ers started doing it. Pearsall had four catches for 37 yards Sunday. Why’d they stop throwing to him in the meaningful portions of the second half? Beats me.

Duds

Kyle Shanahan • HC

I really liked the offensive play calls Sunday — Shanahan took advantage of a Dolphins defense that didn’t receive the memo that you should play press man-to-man against San Francisco.

But it was so lame that Shanahan didn’t go for a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line at the end of the first half.

What do you have to lose, Kyle?

Because whatever it is, I doubt it’s more embarrassing than kicking a 21-yard field goal in a game that has no meaning in the standings.

The Niners’ coach just can’t help but be conservative and by-the-book. It’s a shame that aggressiveness is necessary to be successful when you have middling talent, which the Niners certainly have.

Fred Warner • LB

The Niners’ middle linebacker looked lost without Dre Greenlaw next to him in this game, particularly as the Dolphins quick-passed and screened the Niners to death. Understanding that Warner is injured and playing next to Dee Winters (who had a nice game, in my opinion) and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (not bad), this might seem unfair, but he was not good.

Patrick Taylor • RB

He can’t run the ball well, can’t pass protect and absolutely cannot catch the ball. So, what’s the point of playing him? The Niners must have a better option, even with Taylor being the No. 5 option this season.

Every 49ers offensive lineman

Did any one of them play well? Yes, I’m asking about all seven of them.

If you had any doubt that the 49ers need to rebuild their line this offseason — inside out — this game is all you need.

The starters looked terrible and the backups for Jaylon Moore and Aaron Banks (who both had disastrous games before injuries sidelined them) were somehow worse.

It’s, frankly, incredible that Brock Purdy was able to complete as many passes as he did. The Niners’ offensive line was abysmal.

The 49ers’ strange pass-game formations

Were Pearsall’s two illegal formation penalties bad? Yep! Both came with the Niners putting their outside receiver — Jauan Jennings — off the line in an effort to give him more cushion to release. It’s a strange thing to need to do and I want to provide some deference to a rookie who has practiced very little for not thinking he should be on the line while playing flanker. Alas, it was his mistake, though. Add it to the Niners’ pile.

Instant analysis of 49ers’ 29-17 loss to Dolphins amid playoff elimination

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Five years after losing Super Bowl LIV here, the 49ers’ return to Hard Rock Stadium cruelly coincided with their elimination from this season’s playoff contention — even before kicking off Sunday’s 29-17 loss to the Dolphins.

Earlier victories by the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams and the wild card-seeking Washington Commanders officially extinguished the 49ers’ minuscule playoff chances, projected at less than 1%.

Thus, the outgoing NFC champions are playing out the string. Their home finale is on Monday night, Dec. 30 against NFC-leading Detroit, then the 49ers’ season closes Jan. 5 at the Arizona Cardinals, who led the NFC West in Week 11 but were also eliminated from contention Sunday.

“We still have two weeks of football left, and if I have football in front of me, I’m going to play as hard as I possibly can, and I’m going to try to get the guys around me to do the same,” tight end George Kittle said.

Many hallmarks of this 6-9 season resurfaced Sunday: injuries to multiple starters, a season-high 11 penalties, no takeaways, special-teams woes, and a late-game interception of Brock Purdy, who was hit in the process of that midfield miscue. That all — and then some — spoiled the 49ers’ first meeting against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium since 2016.

George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers already dealt this past week with “the vibe” of being a non-playoff team, a fate essentially sealed after their Dec. 12 loss to the Rams. Sunday’s official pregame elimination had no bearing on this game’s approach, Shanahan and several players said.

Instead, Shanahan was dismayed by his offense’s “lack of concentration,” such as rookie Ricky Pearsall’s two illegal formation penalties in a four-snap span, as well as three unnecessary roughness penalties after halftime on defenders Talanoa Hufanga, Jordan Elliott and Deommodore Lenoir.

“Penalties killed us, (and) not taking the ball away,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “One takeaway in the last five games is just not going to get it done. I challenged the defense at half, saying we needed to take the ball away to win the game, and we didn’t do that.”

The last time they stepped on this field, the 49ers fell to the Chiefs 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV after Kansas City rallied in the fourth quarter and Jimmy Garoppolo infamously overthrew an open Emmanuel Sanders. This time, the 49ers’ last-ditch comeback ended when Purdy got intercepted with under two minutes remaining. The 49ers had pulled within 19-17 on Purdy’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Eric Saubert with 12 minutes to go.

“It hurts going through it, but I still have all the faith in the world in what we can do moving forward,” said Purdy, who completed 26-of-40 passes for 313 yards and met childhood hero Dan Marino in pregame warmups.

It wouldn’t be a 49ers defeat without more health issues, from a first-series exit by linebacker Dre Greenlaw (right calf; not left Achilles), to second-half leg injuries for left tackle Jaylon Moore (quadriceps) and left guard Aaron Banks (knee; medial collateral ligament). Linebacker Dee Winters, Greenlaw’s replacement, left late with a chest injury.

Greenlaw was making the second start in his comeback from his Achilles tear in February’s Super Bowl, and after exiting 30 snaps into his scintillating season debut, he was shut down after his right calf tightened. Shanahan, Warner and Bosa all said the 49ers need to protect Greenlaw from himself.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) tackles San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. (32) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The 49ers offense struggled to run, and Patrick Taylor Jr. gained just 24 yards (eight carries) as their fourth different starting running back this season.

Purdy wisely turned to stalwarts George Kittle and Deebo Samuel for vintage efforts. Kittle closed in on his fourth career 1,000-yard season, reaching 967 yards Sunday with 106 yards on eight catches. Samuel totaled 96 receiving yards (seven catches) and 25 rushing yards (five carries), and recorded only his second receiving touchdown this season by bounding through four defenders on a 16-yard catch-and-run for an early lead.

“George and Deebo, their heart and fight for our team and trying to get things going for us, you see it, and I’m very, very proud to play with them and their love for everybody on the field,” Purdy said.

The 49ers’ first drive after halftime defined their season in a nutshell: a starter got hurt (Moore), a galling alignment penalty was called (Pearsall’s second for illegal formation nullified Samuel’s catch-and-run to the 2), a third-down incompletion came after a bad block (by Spencer Burford in his left tackle debut), and a special teams gaffe surfaced (Jake Moody missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt).

In Sunday’s fourth quarter, Purdy’s offensive line consisted of rarely used backups on his blindside. Burford was at left tackle in place of Moore, who started a fifth straight game in place of Trent Williams. Nick Zakelj took over at left guard when Aaron Banks exited in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.

Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Sunday’s postseason elimination did not immediately turn Shanahan into a free-wheeling play-caller. He declined to go for it on fourth-and-1 on their opening drive, and he opted for a 21-yard field goal by Moody after a third-and-goal incompletion from the 3.

Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | 49ers’ loss in Miami continues the longest season of Brock Purdy’s life San Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ loss to the Dolphins was the perfect encapsulation of an imperfect season San Francisco 49ers | What the 49ers said after losing to the Dolphins San Francisco 49ers | 49ers Studs and Duds: Where has this Deebo Samuel been all season? San Francisco 49ers | Live 49ers updates: Niners take on Dolphins in Miami

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Shanahan’s longtime protégé, wasn’t any more aggressive. The Dolphins got five field goals from Jason Sanders, the last of which came with 2 minutes remaining.

The 49ers surrendered their only lead 3:20 before halftime, when Tyreek Hill scored on a 3-yard touchdown catch against Charvarius Ward, Hill’s Chiefs teammate when they beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV here. It was Tua Tagovailoa’s 100th career touchdown pass, and it put Miami ahead 13-7.

Samuel had put the 49ers ahead 7-3 with 2021-like dominance and determination on the second snap of the second quarter. He scored on a 16-yard catch-and-run, first catching it at the 10-yard line, then banging off a trio of defenders and ultimately dragging a fourth Dolphin across the goal line.

Such highlights have been too few from him and the 49ers overall in this underachieving season.

“We’ve been in the highest of highs for a long time and sometimes things don’t go your way, and a lot of it is because of what we’ve done, obviously,” Nick Bosa said. “Just have to appreciate playing this game. I don’t think I’ve played a game where we don’t really have a chance in the playoffs, so it was a different feel.”

Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins throws a pass against Maliek Collins #99 and Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Live 49ers updates: Niners take on Dolphins in Miami

The 49ers face the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon in Miami in a game featuring two teams who had high hopes for the season but have underwhelmed in 2024.

Miami (6-8) sits ninth in the AFC entering Sunday, while the Niners have less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs after losing four of their last five games.

San Francisco is coming off a deflating loss to the LA Rams on Thursday Night Football that saw linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refuse to enter the game after being benched in Dre Greenlaw’s return from a torn Achilles.

Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | 49ers’ loss in Miami continues the longest season of Brock Purdy’s life San Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ loss to the Dolphins was the perfect encapsulation of an imperfect season San Francisco 49ers | What the 49ers said after losing to the Dolphins San Francisco 49ers | 49ers Studs and Duds: Where has this Deebo Samuel been all season? San Francisco 49ers | Instant analysis of 49ers’ 29-17 loss to Dolphins amid playoff elimination

Even with the playoffs out of reach, the 49ers could build momentum toward 2025, defensive end Nick Bosa said this week.

They’ll have to do it without All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who will miss a fifth straight game with an ankle injury. Also out is fourth-string running back Isaac Guerendo, who played well after injuries took Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason out for the season. Patrick Taylor Jr. will start Sunday in the backfield.

Quarterback Brock Purdy acknowledged this week after the loss to the Rams that he has not played to the level he established over his first two seasons with the Niners.

Follow along below for live updates on the game…

What is a biblically accurate angel?

By TRAVIS LOLLER

It was during the pandemic when the Rev. Kira Austin-Young and her puppet-maker husband, Michael Schupbach, were going a little stir-crazy that they came up with the idea. Instead of a star or some stylized humanoid angel to top their Christmas tree, why not create a biblically accurate angel?

The result was a pink, blue and gold-feathered creature with six wings and dozens of eyes that went a little bit viral.

“I think in, particularly, the times of the world that we’re in, where things seem kind of scary and weird, having a scary and weird angel sort of speaks to people,” she said.

There are a number of different kinds of angels that show up in the Bible, said Austin-Young, associate rector of the Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin in San Francisco. For the most part, we don’t get a lot of description of them, but both Revelations at the end of the Bible and some of the books of the prophets in the Old Testament describe strange creatures around the throne of God.

Angels created for the city of Monterey in the 1970s were more brightly colored and vibrant than those fashioned some 15 years before. They were also often painted with blue eyes and lighter complexions than their earlier counterparts. (Tess Kenny/Monterey Herald archive)

“Some of them have six wings with eyes covering the wings,” she said. Others have multiple animal heads. “I think one of the delightful things about the Bible and the Scripture is just kind of how bizarre it can be and just how kind of out there it can be.”

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted last year. Still, there’s no agreement about what they look like or even exactly what they are.

Social media is full of various interpretations of “biblically accurate angels” imagined not just in tree toppers but also drawings, tattoos, even makeup tutorials. The many-eyed creatures reject traditional portrayals of angels in Western art, where they often look like humans with wings, usually white and often blonde or very fair.

Esther Hamori, a professor of Hebrew Bible at Union Theological Seminary, makes a distinction between angels and other “supernatural species” in the Bible like seraphim and cherubim, but she said she loves the biblically accurate angel trend, even if it conflates them.

“It shows that people are thinking about ways in which the Bible contains far stranger things than what’s often taught,” the author of “God’s Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible” wrote in an email.

“The biblical heavens are filled with weird, frightening figures. In the Bible, God has an entourage of monsters.”

One of Austin-Young’s favorite portrayals of the annunciation — a favorite theme of Christian art depicting the archangel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary to announce that she is going to bear the son of God — is by Henry Ossawa Tanner. It conceives of Gabriel as a vaguely humanoid shaft of light.

“It kind of makes you rethink, ‘What would that be like to be approached by an angel?’” she said. “If it’s somebody you don’t know, or if it’s a strange creature, or if it’s just this kind of manifestation of God’s message to you. … That could be anything.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Liberty Mutual to pull out of California condo, rental insurance markets

Even as regulators phase in new reforms to stabilize California’s faltering home insurance market, Liberty Mutual plans to drop all its condo and rental policies statewide starting in 2026.

Ahead of the move, Safeco, a Liberty subsidiary, is preparing to stop writing new condo and rental policies at the beginning of next year. Liberty hasn’t accepted new condo or rental customers under its parent brand since late 2023.

Liberty, the seventh-largest property and casualty insurer last year, currently covers more than 67,000 condos and 102,000 rental properties across the state, according to rate filings. It’s unclear how many policyholders could lose their insurance in the region.

A spokesperson for the company said Safeco will continue writing new homeowners insurance policies in California. But the Liberty brand, which stopped adding homeowner policies in the state last year, does not plan to resume that coverage.

Liberty is one of a number of insurers to scale back their presence in the state as providers have incurred billions of dollars in losses following recent devasting fire seasons.

“During this time of increasing risk and volatility, we are building a sustainable business path forward in California by simplifying our product offerings and investing in the areas where we can win in the long term,” the Liberty spokesperson said in a statement.

Since 2017, insurers have also dropped hundreds of thousands of policyholders in high-fire areas such as the East Bay Hills, Wine Country and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Homeowners unable to find traditional policies have been left to buy into the exorbitantly expensive FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort.

Meanwhile, as carriers including Liberty, Allstate and State Farm have stopped writing new home insurance policies, the lack of competition has likely contributed to premiums spiking across California.

Liberty’s move to exit the condo and rental markets comes despite a new plan by state regulators to reduce non-renewals and entice insurers to accept more customers.

This month, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced the state has finalized the key component of the proposal: allowing insurers to justify rate hikes based on the growing threat of climate change, a long-running industry demand. In exchange, companies must work to expand coverage in parts of the state with the greatest wildfire risk.

Earlier this week, Farmers Insurance announced it would increase the number of new California homeowners policies it writes each month from 7,000 to 9,500, explaining that “the state’s insurance marketplace has indeed improved.” In April, Allstate said it would consider resuming writing new homeowners policies in California.

Consumer advocates, however, worry the new regulations will mean steep rate hikes for many policyholders. They also remain skeptical that most insurers will write more policies in fire-risk areas and elsewhere in the state.

“Liberty Mutual’s announcement shows that Commissioner Lara’s plan does not require insurers to sell again in California,” said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, arguing that policyholders who take proactive steps to safeguard their homes from wildfires shouldn’t be struggling to find coverage. “To make sure Californians are covered, we need a mandate that insurers sell to firesafe properties.”

Horoscopes Dec. 22, 2024: Ralph Fiennes, positive returns will benefit your lifestyle

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jordin Sparks, 35; Brooke Nevin, 42; Ralph Fiennes, 62; Diane Sawyer, 79.

Happy Birthday: Use your imagination to discover a unique way to handle delicate situations this year. Offering incentives will put you in a leadership position, making you the go-to person in your community. Take relationships to the next level; positive returns will benefit your lifestyle. Plan to participate more, and you’ll learn from the interaction and activities you incorporate into your life. Your numbers are 4, 11, 17, 26, 35, 43, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider your options before entering a touchy conversation with someone close to you. Your best intentions will fall short, leaving you vulnerable if you promise too much and deliver too little. A shopping spree will be fun but expensive if you neglect to set a strict budget before leaving the house. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t take risks that can lead to insult, injury or illness. Protect your reputation and home from those trying to outmaneuver you. Learn from experience and keep your secrets to yourself. A change someone proposes is worth considering if it will raise your profile or income. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be demonstrative, express your thoughts and feelings, and be the one to put things in motion. Taking a leadership position will enhance your appeal and attract opportunities that can change the dynamics of a meaningful relationship. Socializing, romance and personal growth are on the rise. 5 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use your skills diversely, and the outcome will unleash all sorts of possibilities. Offer what you can to an organization that can use some help. Your input will give someone in a higher position a chance to see what you can accomplish. Fix up your space to reflect your needs. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You know the rules; don’t get angry if someone catches you trying to smudge the lines between right and wrong. Stick to the script, make a difference and put a dent in a problem that irks you. Love is favored. A romantic gesture will bring you closer to someone special. 4 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Manage your money to avoid debt or falling short. Participate in a social event or activity that teaches you about who you are and how lucky you are. Be careful how you handle your money. Keep your possessions safe and take care of time-sensitive payments to avoid repercussions. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Live and learn. As you enter a new year, communication, asking questions and experiencing people, places and pastimes will shape your perspective. A change at home can be the answer to a financial or emotional problem. A makeover will lead to compliments. Romance is favored. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Refuse to let someone asking for too much or making impossible demands fool you. Participate in events that help a cause you are familiar with and know how to assist without jeopardizing your health, financial situation or reputation. Spend only on what’s necessary. Avoid joint ventures. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t hold back; if there is something you don’t like, speak up. The longer you let things linger on, the harder it will be to reverse any damage done. An emotional situation at home or work will weigh heavy on your mind. Protect your rights, your home and your reputation. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep life simple, stick to the facts and refuse to let your emotions prevent doing what’s right. Enforce discipline when it comes to spending or dealing with a matter that affects your lifestyle or cash flow. Learn through observation and refuse to participate in someone else’s drama. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Host an event or alter your living space to make room for something you want to pursue. Put your energy into something that will pay back. Keep tabs on your money and expenditures, look for hidden costs and commit only to something you can afford. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t let uncertainty set in when what’s required is direct contact and a reasonable conversation with someone who can help you fix whatever’s gone amok. Pay attention to gestures and innuendoes to ensure you don’t neglect someone’s needs. A change of scenery will brighten your day. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, accommodating and hospitable. You are hardworking and proficient.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Why Steve Kerr wants this play to have the Warriors talking

MINNEAPOLIS — It wasn’t Steph Curry’s patented lookaway that caught Steve Kerr’s attention, it was everything that led up to the two-time MVP’s latest game-sealing dagger.

With an eight-point lead and just over two minutes left in the Target Center, the Warriors went for the kill. Not like other teams do, with their star player walking down the shot clock and pulling up for a contested jumper. But with the type of elemental Warriors Way play that has too often deserted them this season.

Curry and Trayce Jackson-Davis ran a high pick-and-roll, with everyone in the building expecting a Minnesota blitz. Sensing two defenders coming to the ball, Curry flipped a pass to the center in the short roll. Jackson-Davis skipped it quickly over to Andrew Wiggins in the corner, who swung an extra one to point guard Dennis Schroder.

Even though he’s the new guy, Schroder knew enough to find Curry with one last pass.

One dribble, four passes, and one big celebratory scream from Curry.

“That’s the game right there,” Kerr said after the Warriors’ 113-103 win over Minnesota.

“That’s what we’re trying to impart on our young players. We have Steph Curry on our team. So, pass the ball. Move the ball. And if Steph gets off it early because he’s gained an advantage, now the defense is scrambling. This is how we’ve played for 10 years.”

When Kerr wants to make a point, he repeats it. At practices, in film sessions, during timeouts. And not just with his team, he reiterates it through the channels available to him.

That can even include using a press conference pulpit.

“It’s important for our young players to understand we don’t need contested 17 footers with 12 on the shot clock — that’s a bad shot,” Kerr said.

“It’s something we have to recognize and get better at. When you have Steph Curry on the team, you pass the ball. Because if you pass it two or three times, the defense is scrambling and all hell breaks loose. So it’s a choice: we can either do that and win games, or we could shoot a whole bunch of 15-foot contested shots in the middle of the shot clock and be a lousy NBA team. It’s up to us and we are hammering that point home for our team.”

Kerr didn’t name names, but that’s about as pointed as a coach can be.

The Warriors don’t have many young players on their roster, so the process of elimination can be pretty specific. Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Moses Moody — who missed his fourth straight game with knee soreness — are the only rotation players under 25.

Jackson-Davis and Podziemski played arguably their best games of the season in the win over the Timberwolves. The center, who was pivotal in the game-sealing play Kerr raved about, finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a plus-7. He also has taken one shot outside nine feet all year. He is not the culprit of Kerr’s ire.

“He played decisive, aggressive the entire game,” Curry said. Played with energy.

Podziemski, meanwhile, logged 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals against Minnesota. He has had a tough start to his sophomore season but has come on stronger in the past week and played much more decisively on Saturday, driving closeouts and pulling the trigger on open shots.

Asked about Kerr’s comments postgame, Podziemski said he doesn’t think, he just plays.

“I know we have Steph Curry on the court, and if he’s open I’m going to throw the ball to him,” Podziemski said.

Then there’s Kuminga, who has returned to a bench role after a very public yet brief elevation into the starting lineup. The fourth-year wing put together three straight 20-point games, plus a massive 31-point performance in a win without both Curry and Draymond Green this month. He has generally been a good passer with wide court vision, but is more of an isolation scorer than Kerr’s system tends to lend itself to. He needs the ball, and occasionally stops it.

One play against the Timberwolves, Kuminga drove into the paint and had Podziemski open on the wing, but instead threw up a tough shot in the lane that badly missed.

Kuminga finished with 11 points on a rough 3-for-11 shooting, but was a part of some of Golden State’s best fourth-quarter lineups. And, apparently, part of Kerr’s frustration.

Kerr made his impassioned plea not in the heat of the moment after a tough loss, but rather after a hard-fought, much needed win. He did it while answering a question about getting over their late-game scoring struggles — an inquiry only tangentially related to the point he got across.

Curry, in his own words, seemed to concur with his coach that the Warriors are going to be better off if they figure out how to operate around him.

“For me, anybody who plays with me, you have to play confident and decisive,” Curry said. “And you’re okay with mistakes as long as they’re done with the mindset of you trying to be aggressive. I’m cool with that. We also could talk about adjustments and sets and reads that allow me to be a threat on the ball, off the ball, to create easy shots. And over the course of 48 minutes, if we have more of that bucket than the bucket Coach is talking about, we’re going to be in good shape.”

Steph Curry, Warriors defense knock off Timberwolves on the road

MINNEAPOLIS — Before the game, Steve Kerr was asked how long it might take for the Warriors to rediscover the identity they established during their 12-3 start.

The legendary coach had a surprising answer: one game.

“We know who we are,” Kerr said. “We know what we’re capable of. We’ve got to find the confidence again, and that can happen overnight. We need to click and have a good game, feel good about ourselves, and we’ll get back on track.”

Perhaps the Warriors had their breakthrough on Saturday in the Target Center. After a 25-minute delay for a pregame net malfunction, the Warriors locked up the Timberwolves in the first half and closed them out with the late-game execution that has often lacked this month.

Steph Curry scored 31 and canned a pair of daggers late in the fourth quarter, lifting the Warriors (15-12) to a much-needed 113-103 win. They’d lost nine of their past 11 games entering Saturday, including the fourth biggest margin of defeat in franchise history.

“Felt like a really good night for our team,” Kerr said postgame. “We needed the win, obviously, but I did feel like we got back to who we are.”

Outplaying the Timberwolves — a team of similar stature in the West — was a nice reminder of who they are: a defensive-minded, fast-paced team with Curry as their ninth-inning weapon. It also helped that two of their struggling young players, Brandin Podziemski (12 points, 7 rebounds) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (15 points, 9 rebounds), each had the best games of their seasons.

Boo birds started chirping four minutes into the second quarter, when Jonathan Kuminga drilled a corner 3 to put the Warriors up 36-15.

Golden State had built a lead with strong defense. Despite missing Draymond Green, who tested out his sore left ankle in warmups but couldn’t go, the Warriors leaned defense with their starting lineup. Jackson-Davis played out of his mind on both ends to help the Warriors to an 11-4 start, logging six points, six rebounds, two blocks and an assist in six minutes.

“You’ve got to play hard,” Jackson-Davis said. “That’s what Coach tells me. Go out there and run the floor, try to make energy plays. That’s what I’m trying to do out there.”

Minnesota has been going through similar issues as the Warriors recently. On the same night the Warriors got trounced by 51 in Memphis, the Wolves lost by 26 to former franchise face Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks.

Related ArticlesGolden State Warriors | Why Steve Kerr wants this play to have the Warriors talking Golden State Warriors | Warriors wing Moses Moody to miss fourth straight game, Draymond Green also out Golden State Warriors | Kurtenbach: The worst Warriors loss of the season shows a team at a crossroads Golden State Warriors | Grizzlies hammer Warriors as losing skid continues in Dennis Schroder’s debut Golden State Warriors | Warriors shake up starters once again for Dennis Schroder’s debut

“We don’t have (expletive) on offense,” Minnesota superstar Anthony Edwards said after that loss. “We don’t have no identity. We know I’m gonna shoot a bunch of shots, we know (Julius Randle) gonna shoot a bunch of shots, that’s all we know.”

Edwards was on to something. The Warriors made the Timberwolves look completely lost on offense. Every possession was a struggle, including a three-second violation Kerr and the Warriors’ bench were particularly hyped about.

Edwards and Randle started a combined 1-for-16 and Minnesota scored just 37 points in the first half. Golden State limited the Wolves to 27.3% shooting and forced nine turnovers in the first two quarters.

But then suddenly, the floodgates opened. Golden State’s same starters that smothered Minnesota got picked apart to open the second half. Edwards relentlessly attacked the rim, creating clean looks for his teammates. Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid and Julius Randle got hot from 3.

The Warriors took a 38-29 quarter on the chin.

Tweaking Curry’s substitution pattern, the Warriors brought their star back in for the finishing kick in an 84-84 game. He sat for the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth before returning with eight minutes left.

Upon his return, Curry ran pick-and-rolls with Jackson-Davis, who has seemingly rediscovered his finishing touch. The center dunked on Rudy Gobert twice, including on a putback, and added a layup from a Curry pocket pass. Podziemski added a tipback as Edwards nailed back-to-back 3s from above the break to answer Golden State’s push.

The five of Curry, Podziemski, Kuminga Jackson-Davis and Andrew Wiggins looked cohesive. Edwards tried to take over for Minnesota, so Kerr countered by inserting Gary Payton II in for Kuminga.

Wiggins — who has had a terrific two-way season — blocked Randle in the post, leading to a Curry 3 on the other end. He hopped in front of Golden State’s bench before nailing another one, skipping at halfcourt in celebration. In crunch time, Curry scored 11 straight Warriors points.

The daggers looked like they meant more. Given how tough it has been for the Warriors, they probably did.

“Obviously, we needed a win,” Curry said. “We needed a feel-good type of experience after the Memphis game.”