Jimmy Garoppolo hasn't played since Week 2, but he should thrive in his return to the 49ers' starting lineup Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
Why? Because the Dolphins aren't very good at stopping passing attacks.
Through four games this season, the Dolphins are allowing 285 passing yards per game. That's the fifth-most in the NFL.
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Former 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes, now an NBC Sports Bay Area analyst, believes Garoppolo needs to pick on one specific Dolphins player in order to ensure success Sunday.
"The first-round pick, Noah Igbinoghene, he has been giving up so many big plays, and he's been on record, saying 'Hey guys, I'm sorry, my eyes are bad on a consistent basis week in and week out.' " Spikes said on the latest "Behind The Mask" podcast. "And I know from personal experience, when your eyes are bad and you're playing against a 49ers team that does great, excellent play-action work, you have a tendency to get caught looking in the backfield and now you're trying to go out and cover.
"You look at Byron Jones, you look at Brandon Jones, the other two corners in that secondary, they are giving up big plays too. So the 49ers not only will get a win, but they will be very impressive in their pass game this week."
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Garoppolo and the 49ers could use a blowout win against the Dolphins. Following the matchup, Kyle Shanahan and Co. enter a brutal seven-game stretch that could make or break the season.
Assuming Garoppolo and Shanahan have done their homework on the Dolphins, they likely have drawn up a gameplan to exploit Igbinoghene, the No. 30 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Auburn.
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Likely with a full complement of offensive weapons at his disposal, Garoppolo should be able to feast on the Dolphins' secondary, so you can expect a big stat line for the 49ers quarterback Sunday in his first game back.