49ers collapse to Dolphins amid playoff elimination

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

INJURIES

49ers: LB Dre Greenlaw (right calf), LG Aaron banks (knee) and LT Jaylon Moore (quad) left with injuries. … DE Leonard Floyd played through a shoulder injury suffered in the first quarter.

Dolphins: WR Jaylen Waddle did not play because of a knee injury suffered last week. … CB Kendall Fuller (knee) and LB Jordyn Brookes (quad/knee) left in the second half.