The Miami Dolphins make their first visit to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., when the AFC East team visits the San Francisco 49ers of the NFC West in a battle of struggling clubs on Sunday afternoon.

The interconference game matches a Dolphins team (1-3) that played their best game of the season on the road two weeks ago at Jacksonville against a 49ers squad (2-2) that has yet to win on its home turf this season.

The teams haven't met since 2016, when the Dolphins prevailed 31-24 at home in a contest in which both starting quarterbacks -- Miami's Ryan Tannehill and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick -- threw three touchdown passes.

The rosters look quite different, to the point where all six guys who scored touchdowns in the November 2016 contest are no longer with their respective teams. Coaches Adam Gase (Miami) and Chip Kelly (San Francisco) are also gone.

In fact, the 49ers have used five different starting quarterbacks -- not counting Kaepernick -- since that contest, with Blaine Gabbert, C.J. Beathard, Brian Hoyer, Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens all getting multiple calls.

Three of those five remain on the squad and Garoppolo was deemed ready to return from an ankle injury on Friday and he will start the game. Meanwhile, Beathard has replaced Mullens as the chief backup.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan observed Garoppolo closely in Friday's practice before the team announced he would start. Garoppolo missed the previous two games.

"He did a good job. Each day got better," Shanahan said of Garoppolo. "Never felt too sore the next day, so we needed to hear that today and see him out there today. We feel good to go and he'll be starting Sunday."

At the beginning of the practice week, Shanahan was unwilling to divulge who'd get the start if Garoppolo couldn't.

Mullens committed two critical turnovers in last Sunday's 25-20 loss, a fumble that led to Philadelphia's go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and an interception that the Eagles returned for a score on the next play from scrimmage, creating a deeper hole and leading to the summoning of Beathard.

"Nick just had a rough game and I think he played better than it looked," Shanahan said. "It's never as bad as it seems. But that's kind of a life of a backup."

The 49ers found themselves in the same situation as Garoppolo with running back Raheem Mostert this week. He also has sat out two straight games with a knee injury and he is listed as questionable to play against the Dolphins.

Like Mullens, Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered two key giveaways last week in a 31-23 home loss to Seattle. He threw for 315 yards, many of which came after two interceptions had helped the Seahawks build a 31-15 lead.

Fitzpatrick connected 10 times for 110 yards with wideout DeVante Parker, and noted this week he's still getting to know many in the Dolphins' new cast of pass-catchers.

"I think the confidence that I have in our group is high," Fitzpatrick said. "DeVante is always going to be a guy we're going to try to get the ball. Jakeem (Grant) has shown some really nice things for us. Matt (Breida). (Mike) Gesicki had a great game and is a guy that I need to continue to get the ball to. ...

"It's a good problem that we have. We've got guys that aren't getting enough touches. That means we have a lot of playmakers and I'll continue to try to do my best to spread it around."

Parker (ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday for Miami, as was cornerback Byron Jones (groin, Achilles). Shaq Lawson (shoulder) and starting left tackle Austin Jackson did not participate.

The teams will be meeting for a second time in Northern California outside of San Francisco. The first site was Stanford Stadium, about 15 miles west of Levi's, when the 49ers crushed Dan Marino and the Dolphins 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX in January of 1985.

--Field Level Media