Kyle Shanahan is still stressed out about the 49ers’ interior run defense, even after a dominant 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday. Fox analyst Daryl Johnston revealed during a replay that Shanahan had brought up his concerns about the “between-the-tackles run game” in a pregame production meeting, and what played out on the field confirmed those fears.
Dolphins Exploited the “Mushy Middle” Early
Despite Sunday’s game being a massive mismatch, the Dolphins were competitive for the first 30 minutes by hammering a glaring weakness. We’re talking about an insane talent disparity here: the 49ers roster boasts 55 total Pro Bowl berths compared to Miami’s single one, the biggest gap in the NFL since 1997. Yet, the Dolphins kept the ball for over 19 minutes in the first half, running 28 plays in 49ers territory and racking up 84 rushing yards on 20 carries. They even trailed just 14-6 after three first-half drives that lasted nine, 17, and 12 plays, ending in two field goals and a missed 51-yarder. Shanahan called it the “mushy middle,” and man, it was easy to see why. On one early play, Dolphins running back De’Von Achane busted through for 4 yards up the gut on 3rd-and-1, thanks to right guard Jonah Savaiinaea driving defensive tackle CJ West 4 yards downfield and planting him on his rear end. Not a good look, not at all.
CJ West and James Thompson Are Getting Pushed Around
The real issue after two games? The performance of their defensive tackles. CJ West, a 2025 fourth-round pick who’s starting because Alfred Collins went down with a season-ending knee injury before Week 1, is having a nightmare. His run-defense grade of 26.4 ranks dead last among 135 interior linemen with at least 15 snaps against the run, according to Pro Football Focus. Sunday was particularly brutal for West, who got ragdolled on back-to-back plays late in the second quarter. First, on an 8-yard run by Jaylen Wright, center Aaron Brewer got leverage on West, turned him, and planted him on his back deep in the backfield. The very next play, Wright gained 3 yards up the middle as Brewer and left guard Kaden Proctor combo-blocked West, then Brewer drove him 5 yards downfield, leaving West looking up at the sky.
And it’s not just West getting pushed around. Undrafted rookie defensive tackle James Thompson, who has logged 42 off-the-bench snaps, isn’t doing much better. His run-defense grade of 28.5 ranks 131st out of 135 interior defenders. On Sunday, just two plays before West’s own pancake parade, Proctor drove Thompson 6 yards downfield and put him on his backside. To make matters worse, Thompson suffered a high ankle sprain in the third quarter and is likely out for at least four weeks. His absence might not even be that significant given his performance, but it shows Shanahan’s options are truly limited. That interior run defense is a major problem Shanahan needs to fix, pronto.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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