Dolphins-49ers matchups: Part II – Smith, Carroll and Wilson vs. Crabtree

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Grant Cohn

The 49ers play the Dolphins Sunday at Candlestick.  In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups.

Left Cornerback Sean Smith, RCB Nolan Carroll and NCB Jimmy Wilson vs. WR Michael Crabtree

None of the Dolphins top-three cornerbacks can cover Crabtree. Miami has the 26th ranked pass defense because those three cornerbacks are no good.

The Dolphins are probably going to play a soft two-deep zone like the Rams did. They’re going to try to force Colin Kaepernick to check it down.

That means Crabtree, a terrific underneath receiver, should get a lot of targets.

Advantage: 49ers

This entry was posted in Inside the 49ers and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Dolphins-49ers matchups: Part II – Smith, Carroll and Wilson vs. Crabtree

  1. Razoreater says:
    December 8, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Mr. Crabs has meaty claws. Throw him the damn ball.

  2. Adam707 says:
    December 8, 2012 at 10:33 am

    I need 60 yards and a TD. That is all.

  3. Jay Wilson says:
    December 8, 2012 at 7:15 pm

    Woah! Sean Smith has held Larry Fitzgerald and AJ Green to under 70 yards while allowing only 1 TD this season. When Smith is playing well, he’s a top 15 CB, but he’s inconsistent. Can definitely cover Crabtree.