Niners Drop to Dolphins, Eliminated from Playoffs

Week 16 - Entering Sunday's game, the (6-8) San Francisco 49ers held less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs after their disappointing loss to the Rams a week earlier on a rain-soaked Levi's Stadium field. But just moments before kickoff against the (6-8) Miami Dolphins, the Niners would learn that those playoff hopes would come to an end following the Washington Commanders' dramatic comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles which meant San Francisco was mathematically eliminated from punching their playoff ticket. With head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad missing the postseason for the first time since 2020, there was little to play for as San Francisco would not be given a chance to defend their NFC title. Making their first visit Miami, Florida since their loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 nearly five years ago, the 49ers would duel with a familiar face in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel who served five seasons under coach Shanahan in San Francisco as the run game coordinator and offensive coordinator before landing the Dolphins' head coaching gig in 2022. 

As for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who would be facing the team he grew up rooting for while idolizing Dolphins great Dan Marino, he would also face the team he recorded his first career win against in 2022 when stepping in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Having come a long way since making NFL history in that contest when Purdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a regular season game, Sunday would unfortunately end on a much somber note than the game that catapulted Brock Purdy's name on a national scale just two years earlier. Taking over duties in the backfield behind Purdy would be yet another running back in Patrick Taylor who in his fifth pro season would make his first career start in place of injured rookie Isaac Guerendo. Unfortunately, it would be a quiet day for Taylor, the team's fifth-string running back behind a laundry list of injured backs in Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and Guerendo. One 49er who would not have a disappointing game in what's been a disappointing season is Deebo Samuel. After dropping a potential game-winning touchdown a week earlier, Deebo would have one of his best games of the season on Sunday. 

After the Dolphins jumped ahead in the first quarter with a Jason Sanders field goal, the 49ers answered to start the second quarter with a Deebo Samuel touchdown. His third TD of the season and first since Week 6, Deebo rumbled and tumbled his way into the end zone with an impressive show of strength, fighting off tackles to strike paydirt. Inching closer with another field goal by Sanders, the Dolphins would take the lead one possession later with a touchdown pass from Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa to receiver Tyreek Hill. After suffering a few dropped passes earlier in the game, Hill made up for it, hauling in the 100th career touchdown pass by Tua who became just the fourth Dolphins QB to reach the century mark. The 49ers would answer with a Jake Moody field goal but went into the locker room trailing 13-10 at the half. Picking up right where they left off, Miami converted on more field goals as Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders added to his busy day by adding another pair of field goals to open the second half. Sandwiched between those made field goals was a missed field goal by San Francisco's Jake Moody. 

Trailing 16-10, Moody's kick from 41-yards would sail wide-left, much to the chagrin of coach Shanahan who was seen fuming on the sideline after the missed field goal. Making matters worse, the 49ers had a 16-yard Deebo Samuel reception that would've given them a first and goal from the 2-yard line negated a few plays earlier due to an illegal-formation penalty on rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who was flagged twice on the same drive for illegal-formation. The back-breaking penalties followed by the missed field goal would only add to the frustration felt by the 49ers virtually all season long as the self-inflicted miscues have reared their ugly head far too often for San Francisco this year. After another made field goal by Miami that pushed their lead to 19-10, the 49ers marched their way to the end zone to open the fourth quarter, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight-end who hauled in his first touchdown reception as a 49er and only the third TD of his 7-year career. Another tight-end that would make his presence felt on Sunday was San Francisco's George Kittle who notched his 20th career 100-yard receiving game after his 106-yard performance, making him the 4th tight-end with 20 such games in his first 8 seasons in NFL history. Kittle's 7,241 receiving yards passed Rob Gronkowski for the 2nd most by an NFL tight-end in his first 8 seasons in NFL history, trailing only Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. 

Pulling within 2 points, the 49ers had Miami right where they wanted them after forcing a punt on the Dolphins ensuing possession. But after having to punt themselves after nothing doing, Miami would add another field goal to add to their lead, the fifth of the game from kicker Jason Sanders. Still within striking distance trailing by 5, Brock Purdy would be pressured into hurrying a pass that was intercepted by the Miami defense. A few plays later, running back De'Von Achane would break for a 50-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach and sealing the Dolphins' 29-17 win. With his touchdown run that served as the dagger, Achane recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, logging 120 rush yards in total. Although Brock Purdy threw for 313 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his costly interception came at a pivotal time and was unable to rally his team to victory when playing from behind. The Niners' disappointing run game was outgained 166 to 81 as both Purdy (26) and Samuel (25) finished with more rushing yards than starting running back Patrick Taylor (24). Tua played turnover-free football and threw for 215 yards and a touchdown for Miami. 

Noteworthy: Playing in just his second game since returning from a torn Achilles, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw would have to again leave Sunday's game early, this time with a calf injury that will likely lead to Shanahan and company shutting him down for the remainder of the season as a precaution. 

Week 17 Preview: Playing in their final home game of the season, the (6-9) 49ers will return to Levi's Stadium where they will play host to the (13-2) Detroit Lions on the last Monday Night Football of 2024 in what will be a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game. With the Lions currently sitting in the driver's seat as the NFC's No. 1 seed, Detroit will look to avenge their heartbreaking loss to the 49ers which saw San Francisco storm back from a 17-point deficit. With the rival Vikings on Detroit's heels and also sitting at 13-2 on the year, expect quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions to not pull any punches and give it everything they have on Monday night as explained by head coach Dan Campbell, despite having suffered a few major injuries to the roster down the stretch. 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping running back Isaac Guerendo will be one of the players back in time for gameday as he nurses a hamstring and foot injury. With 967 receiving yards on the season, Niners tight-end George Kittle is another name that expects to go full throttle on Monday night as he looks to surpass the 1,000 yard mark for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time in his career. Kittle also leads the team in touchdowns with 8, the second-most he's scored in a single season. As for San Francisco's offensive-line, quarterback Brock Purdy may be in for a world of hurt as he's expected to be without left-tackle Trent Williams, left-guard Aaron Banks, right-tackle Spencer Burford, and possibly right-tackle Colton McKivitz who is questionable with a knee injury. 

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49ers Faceplant vs Rams in Rainy Santa Clara

Week 15 - With just a handful of games remaining on the NFL's regular season schedule, the San Francisco 49ers entered their Thursday Night meeting with the rival (7-6) Los Angeles Rams with a record of 6-7 and very little margin of error to play with. Hoping to continue their improbable playoff run and cruise with a win at home, mother nature would have other plans as both teams struggled to get much of anything going on offense partly in part by the rainy conditions that effected both team's strategy through the air. With what many believed would be a back-and-forth shootout between two offenses led by two of the best young minds in all of football at the head coaching position between friends and former colleagues Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, instead turned into the first game in the NFL this season without a single touchdown scored. 

In a season that has been plagued by injuries, the 49ers finally received a bit of positivity on the injury front as linebacker Dre Greenlaw made his season debut, returning to action just 10 months removed from suffering a torn Achilles in a freak accident while on the sideline during February's Super Bowl. While the injury sent a ripple effect throughout the clubhouse and left his teammates in shock when it initially occurred, his return on Thursday night inspired the team and gave the defense a much-needed jolt on the field, at least through the first two quarters. Getting the start at linebacker opposite of Fred Warner, Greenlaw dazzled and led both teams with 10 tackles in the first half alone. With Greenlaw's help, the 49er defense held the Rams offense to four straight drives without a first down, the longest streak to start a game under head coach Sean McVay. While the 49ers did strike first with a 53-yard Jake Moody field goal on their second drive of the game, they weren't much better on offense as both teams combined for 11 punts in the first half, tied for the most in a half this season. After holding the Chicago Bears to just 3 yards of total offense in the first half a week ago, San Francisco was at it again and held the Rams to just 26 yards in the first half in rainy Santa Clara. 

With a score of 3-3 at the half, the 6-points scored were the fewest in a first half of a 49ers-Rams game since 2009. With 152 games played in the longstanding 49ers-Rams rivalry, it would also be the first game in series history without a touchdown thru the first three quarters, let alone the entire game as the kickers took centerstage and did all the scoring on Thursday night. After forcing a three and out on defense and taking a 6-3 lead following a field goal on San Francisco's first drive of the second half, things began to slip away for the 49ers both literally and figuratively. One play earlier before electing to kick the go-ahead field goal, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy threw a pass to a streaking Deebo Samuel who had blockers ahead of him and the end zone in his sights, but the recently disgruntled receiver dropped the pass and ran to the sideline holding his head in disbelief, much to the chagrin of the 49er fans in attendance as boo's rained down. The dropped pass that was likely destined for the end zone was especially frustrating for the 49ers as Deebo expressed to the media in the days leading up to Thursday's game that there was nothing wrong with him in what's been a down year for the former All-Pro receiver, he just hasn't been given the ball enough. Coach Shanahan and Brock Purdy both tried feeding Samuel on Thursday, even forcibly at times, dialing up plays both on the ground and through the air to no avail. 

Trailing 6-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Rams kicked field goals on their final three drives of the game to take a 12-6 lead. Just four nights after winning the highest-scoring game of the season in a 44-42 barnburner against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, L.A. suddenly found themselves in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year. With a chance to turn the tables and avenge a comeback loss to the Rams in L.A. back in Week 3, Purdy struggled to connect on a pair of home run passes to receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, respectively. After underthrowing a pass near the end zone to Pearsall, the Niners QB overthrew a deep ball to Jennings that was picked off inside the end zone. One possession later, the San Francisco offense would have one last-ditch effort remaining, but with no timeouts remaining and the game clock running against them, Purdy took a sack that sealed the Rams' win and most likely the Niners' season. With just 191 total yards of offense to show for, the 49ers put up the second fewest yards in a game under coach Shanahan. 

Perhaps an even bigger story than the proverbial final nail in the coffin that is the Niners' season, is that of linebacker De'Vondre Campbell who made headlines after refusing to go into the game for San Francisco during the third quarter. Demoted to a backup position on gameday due to the return of Dre Greenlaw, Campbell would hear his name called during the second half after Greenlaw and fellow linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles both went to the sideline after getting banged up, but Campbell refused to enter the game. Clearly feeling some type of way given his demotion, Campbell was sent to the locker room in what would end up being the final visuals of him in a 49ers uniform. Campbell's teammates and coaches sounded off on him when asked about the situation in their postgame interviews, and he has since been suspended for the team's final three regular season games this season. A former All-Pro while a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Campbell began his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons, with stops in Arizona and Green Bay before ultimately landing in San Francisco during the offseason. After initially agreeing to a 1-year deal with free-agent linebacker Eric Kendricks, the plug was eventually pulled on the deal when Kendricks bailed out and ultimately signed with the Dallas Cowboys, thus resulting in the 49ers reaching an agreement with Campbell who might've very well played his final downs as an NFL linebacker. 

For the Rams, winners of 7 of their last 9 games, Matt Stafford and company now have their first 3-game win streak vs San Francisco since 1999-2001 which saw six straight wins over their longtime rivals. This after the 49ers had won 9 straight regular season meetings over the Rams more recently from 2019-2023. Neither team's quarterback lit up the stat sheet as Stafford threw for 160 yards with 0 touchdowns, compared to Brock Purdy who tallied 142 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. L.A.'s Puka Nacua led all receivers with 97 yards receiving and 7 receptions, followed by George Kittle of the Niners who hauled in 4 receptions for 61 yards. Most of the damage done by the Rams offense would come on the ground which came as no surprise in a rain-filled game as L.A. outrushed SF 142 to 63 yards rushing. Kyren Williams would have the busiest day of all running backs, leading the way for the Rams with 108 yards on 29 carries, compared to just 57 yards rushing on 19 carries by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo of the 49ers. 

Week 16 Preview - Hitting the road for sunny South Beach Florida, the (6-8) 49ers will visit the (6-8) Miami Dolphins. With the Niners sharing an identical record as the Dolphins, Miami's up and down season has had plenty to do with the health of their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who was forced to miss four games earlier this year due to yet another concussion. Since returning to action in Week 8, Tua had been playing some solid football to the tune of 15 touchdowns and only 1 interception, in spite of his team still losing games. That was until a clunker on the road in Houston where Tua threw only 1 touchdown to 3 interceptions in Week 15. With both teams coming off poor showings a week ago, both the 49ers and Dolphins will look to right the ship in Week 16 as Kyle Shanahan faces another one of his former colleagues in Miami head coach Mike McDaniel who spent five years on Shanahan's staff in San Francisco before landing his own head coaching gig. 

Seeking their first win in Miami since 1995, 49ers QB Brock Purdy who recorded his first career win against the Dolphins in relief of former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo in 2022, will attempt to get the job done against the team he grew up rooting for. 

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49ers lose Garoppolo, Rally behind Mr. Irrelevant to down Dolphins

Week 13 - One of the more anticipated games to highlight another busy week in the NFL was Week 13's meeting between the (7-4) San Francisco 49ers and the visiting (8-3) Miami Dolphins in what would be a match-up of teacher and student between Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan and 'Fins skipper Mike McDaniel who faced off for the first time after having spent 14 seasons coaching together. As if the two high-flying offenses wasn't enough to look forward to, the game would also feature a number of 49er players now on the Dolphins, including Miami's running back tandem of Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. who had some choice words come up in a recent interview regarding their former team which led to several Niners taking to social media to respond. But no response would be louder than the one that took place on the field when the final whistle blew on Sunday.

Facing the league's number one defense, Miami's offense which had scored 30+ points in four consecutive games entering Sunday's tilt and has produced some of their best offensive statistics since the Dan Marino-led Dolphins in 1986, came out guns blazing on the first play of the game. After pitching a shutout a week ago at home against the Saints, the 49ers saw their hopes of logging back to back shutouts evaporate almost immediately after kickoff and before many fans could even find their seats. Dolphins receiver Trent Sherfield who tallied a total of 87 yards and a touchdown last season with the 49ers, nearly topped that mark on one play when he caught the first pass of the game on the first play from scrimmage and took it 75-yards to the house for the game-opening touchdown and ending the Niners' streak of six consecutive shutout quarters on defense. But as expected when you poke a sleeping giant, Miami's big play would only anger San Francisco's defense which woke up following the early score. Equally as troubling for the offense, the 49ers would see quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo hauled to the locker room with a lower leg injury following San Francisco's first possession on offense, thrusting rookie QB Brock Purdy into the spotlight. 

Purdy, taken with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, this year's Mr. Irrelevant was anything but on Sunday when called upon to take over for the injured Garoppolo who went down on the final play of the Niners' first drive before having to settle for a Robbie Gould field goal. With the defense settling down and recovering from the gut-punch on the opening-play, Purdy came into the game and marched the offense to the end zone for his first career touchdown pass as he hit fullback Kyle Juszczyk for the 3-yard score. After Miami tied the game at 10 with a field goal of their own, Purdy again led the offense down the field and into the red zone where he found Christian McCaffrey for the short touchdown strike from 3-yards out in the final seconds of the half. Going into the locker room with a 17-10 lead, the 49ers' late first half touchdown meant San Francisco had now scored in the final two minutes of the first half in each of their last five games (all wins). Meanwhile, at the time of Garoppolo's injury, the extent of the injury was still very much unknown. As it turned out, Garoppolo would be ruled out for the game at the half and it was learned following the game from coach Shanahan that his quarterback had suffered a broken foot that would require season-ending surgery. 

Down to their third-string quarterback, the former standout QB who started nearly all four years at Iowa State and went on to set a number of school records with the Cyclones, over 30 to be exact, including winningest QB in program history, most passing yards, most completions, highest completion percentage and most touchdowns, Purdy looked very comfortable under center given the circumstances. Other than the fluky 75-yard touchdown scored on Miami's first play of the game, the San Francisco defense held their own in the first half, allowing just 82 yards on their next 24 plays. That defense would start the second half red hot by intercepting Tua not only on consecutive possessions, but on consecutive passes to open the half. Ending Tua's streak of 193 straight passes without an interception, the longest active streak in NFL, was 49ers safety Jimmie Ward who took advantage of a Dolphins receiver who lost his footing on the play and corner Deommodore Lenoir who secured an errant pass off the hands of Tyreke Hill. The 49ers would turn both picks into field goals, adding to their lead. 

But like the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end," the same would be said for San Francisco's second-half shutout streak as a deep pass from Tua to Hill ended in a 45-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter. The 0 points allowed in the second half of four straight games for San Francisco's defense would tie the longest streak since 1939 and spanned an impressive 22 opponent possessions. But after having to punt on their ensuing possession, the 49ers suddenly found themselves in a vulnerable position, giving the ball back to their opponent and clinging to just a six-point lead. A key overturned catch on 4th and 2 for the Dolphins that would've resulted in a first down, was instead reversed to an incomplete pass thanks to a nice play by 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw who upon further review got a hand on the ball just enough to disrupt the catch. Cashing in on another field goal, the San Francisco defense would put a dagger in the heart of the Dolphins offense when Nick Bosa forced a strip-sack that resulted in a scoop and score fumble return for the aforementioned Greenlaw. It would be the final stamp of the day for the 49er defense and Bosa who had a monstrous afternoon, tallying 3 total sacks on the day. 

Adding insult to injury, Tua would be replaced one possession later by QB Skylar Thompson who's one and only pass resulted in a Fred Warner interception to ice the game and send the Niners off with the 33-17 victory. Whether or not it was the 49ers defense making Tua uncomfortable, there would be an awful lot of misfires and overthrows for the league's most accurate passer on downfield passes virtually all afternoon long as he entered Sunday's game with a QB rating of 115.7 to lead the NFL. With another dominant second half, San Francisco has now outscored opponents 70-7 in the second half of their last five games. They have also allowed 17 points or fewer in five straight games, their longest streak since 1997. As for the man of the match, quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 210 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception while becoming the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a regular season game. Tagovailoa threw for 295 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss. Christian McCaffrey (8 receptions, 80 yards and 1 touchdown) and Tyreek Hill (9 receptions, 146 yards and 1 touchdown) each led their teams in receiving. McCaffrey and rookie running back Jordan Mason also combined for 66 and 51 yards rushing, respectively, while former Niners Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. were held to a combined 33 yards rushing for Miami. 

Week 14 Preview: One of only six QB's taken with the final pick in NFL Draft, Purdy who has already made NFL history by being the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a regular season game, will now become the first with that title to start a game at quarterback when he gets the call under center next week against Tom Brady and the (6-6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Concluding their three-game homestand at Levi's Stadium, the vaunted 49er defense will look to continue their recent onslaught against a Buccaneers team that has not looked nearly as good as they had in the previous two seasons with Brady at the helm. But after erasing a 13-point deficit with less than 5 mins remaining on Monday Night Football to steal a game against the rival Saints, the lowly Bucs are not to be taken lightly despite their record. The 49ers will also need to continue their winning ways to keep their distance from second-place Seattle. 

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49ers Defense pitches Shutout vs Saints

Week 12 - Known to have one of the more talented offenses and one of the best offensive play-callers in all of football, the offense of the (6-4) San Francisco 49ers would take a backseat on Sunday as their game versus the (4-7) New Orleans Saints was all about the defense. Entering Sunday's game boasting the NFL's best defense and ranking No. 1 in both yards and points allowed, San Francisco's stout defensive attack did not disappoint in their return to Levi's Stadium. With shutouts on defense in the second half of their last three games, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans' bunch turned things up a notch by pitching a shutout for the entire game as the defense stood on their head in a 13-0 win for the 49ers. 

With an NFL-leading 19 turnovers on offense prior to Sunday's game, the Saints kicked things off with more of the same right out of the gates when their first offensive possession went up in flames after San Francisco's Fred Warner forced a fumble on New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara. The 49ers would take advantage of the stellar field position by getting on the scoreboard, but were only able to walk away with a field goal. As good as San Francisco's defense was on Sunday, the Saints defense also held their own by making things hard for a star-studded 49er offense virtually all afternoon long. Knocking on the door of their first touchdown of the game, Jimmy Garoppolo and company were denied on each of their first two trips to the red zone, including a goal-line stand on a quarterback scramble that kept a lunging Jimmy G just short of the end zone. However, the 49ers would redeem themselves on their next possession as Garoppolo's pass found the arms of receiver Jauan Jennings who showed great concentration on a tip-drill in the back of the end zone. The right place at the right time situation would give San Francisco a 10-0 lead just before the half with 0:19 remaining. 

Receiving the ball to open the second half, the 49ers would catch a break when a Jimmy Garoppolo interception was called back on an illegal-contact penalty against the New Orleans defense. While the offense didn't register another visit to the end zone like they had hoped, they did get another field goal on a 46-yarder from Robbie Gould to increase the lead to 13-0. San Francisco's second half shutout-streak nearly came to an end on the Saints' next possession, but that was until a 48-yard field goal attempt by Wil Lutz sailed wide left. The Saints would also threaten on each of their next two possessions by making it to the red zone, but that's where the vaunted San Francisco defense turned up the heat and stepped up their game. With the ball at the San Francisco 6 yard-line, Saints quarterback Andy Dalton checked down a pass to Kamara who made it to the 1 before being met by 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw who fought off the Saints' Pro-Bowl running back just enough to allow Talanoa Hufanga to break up the play and force a fumble as he shot thru like a missile, knocking the ball loose with his helmet. Squirting the ball up into the air, the 49er defense was able to recover and prevent the Saints' hope for a score. 

One possession later and the Saints were right back at it, knocking on the door of a potential touchdown. Making it to the 4 yard-line with a first down, the San Francisco defense held their ground on four consecutive downs by forcing three straight incomplete passes before a Nick Bosa sack, the Niners' lone sack on the afternoon, sealed the win and forced the turnover on downs inside the red zone. The 49ers were able to ice the game with a series of first downs which allowed them to cruise to a 13-0 victory and complete the shutout. With four straight second half shutouts (all wins), the 49ers have now shutout their opponents in six straight quarters and have not allowed a team to score in the second half since Kansas City's 30-point outburst in the second half of San Francisco's last defeat over a month ago back on October 23. Perhaps even more impressive is the scoreless streak that San Francisco put an end to as the Saints were held scoreless for the first time in 333 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Sunday's defeat for the Saints would be their first without scoring since Week 17 of the 2001 season which also happened to come against the 49ers. In fact, the last four times the Saints have been shutout has come at the hands of the 49ers: Week 9 1997, Week 6 1998, Week 17 2001 and Sunday. 

Nobody on either team finished with impressive numbers on offense as both quarterbacks had pedestrian games with Garoppolo throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown and Dalton passing for 204 yards. Neither team had a running back rush for more than 35 yards and San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk finished with a game-high 65 yards receiving on 5 receptions. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would receive some unfortunate news following the win regarding running back Elijah Mitchell who left Sunday's game with a knee injury in the second half and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks. Mitchell who led all 49er running backs with 35 yards on 7 carries, missed seven of the team's first eight games this year after suffering a sprained MCL in the season-opener at Chicago. After Christian McCaffrey, the void at running back will likely be filled by a combination of rookies Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price or a promotion from the practice squad for veteran Tevin Coleman. With the win on Sunday, the 49ers improved to 7-4 on the year and moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC West as the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals all suffered losses in Week 12.

Week 13 Preview: Continuing their three-game homestand, the 49ers will turn to a more formidable opponent in the (8-3) Miami Dolphins. Tied atop the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills for first place, the Dolphins will pay a visit to Levi's Stadium with a familiar play-caller leading the way in rookie head coach Mike McDaniel who spent the last five seasons in San Francisco under coach Shanahan, including last year as the team's offensive coordinator. McDaniel has struck lightning in a bottle in his first season at the helm in Miami, coaching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins' high-octane offense to five straight wins after coming off a 30-15 victory at home over the Houston Texans. Having scored 30-points in four consecutive games and having held opponents to 17-points or fewer in three of their last five, Miami will certainly put San Francisco's defense to the test. 

In what is becoming a highly anticipated match-up, both teams have added some fuel to the fire after current Dolphin and former 49ers running back Raheem Mostert had some choice words in a recent interview, criticizing his former team for not having his best interest in mind and attempted to rush him back from injury after sustaining a knee injury in the season-opener. The injury would put an end to Mostert's season and ultimately his career with the Niners. Fellow running back Jeff Wilson who is now Mostert's teammate in South Beach, will also get a crack at his former team after being traded from San Francisco on November 1 following the 49ers' acquisition of Christian McCaffrey. Deebo Samuel has since replied to Mostert's comments via Twitter, tweeting, "Raheem be real with yourself." Safe to say, it should be a fun one on Sunday. 

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Niners Swim with the Fish in Beatdown by Miami

Week 5 - While it's still very early in the 2020-21 NFL season, one of the biggest surprises thus far might be what took place at Levi's Stadium on Sunday between the San Francisco 49ers (2-2) and the visiting Miami Dolphins (1-3). Even after taking into consideration the plethora of injuries Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team has suffered in the first handful of weeks, nobody would've foresaw the double-digit shellacking the defending NFC Champs would take on the chin in Week 5 at the hands of a rebuilding Miami team. With San Francisco getting two key cogs back in their lineup in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Raheem Mostert, both of whom missed the last two and a half weeks while nursing injuries, the Niners entered Sunday's game as 9-point favorites. But once the game kicked off, one would've thought it was Miami who was favored as they were in the drivers seat from beginning to end. 

In today's society, bullying comes in many forms and is not to be taken lightly and could even result in jail time in some cases. However, Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick must not have gotten that memo as he and his Dolphin teammates picked on San Francisco's Brian Allen time and time again in the first half of Sunday's game. With the 49ers missing three of their top cornerbacks in Richard Sherman (calf), Emanuel Moseley (concussion) and K'Waun Williams (knee), as well as Dontae Johnson inactive and Ahkello Witherspoon less than 100% with a hamstring ailment, the 49ers were forced to kick the tires on Allen who was promoted from the practice squad just one day earlier. Getting the first start of his career and seeing his first NFL action since 2018, those tires would fall off rather quickly as his day was cut short by coach Shanahan who spared Allen any further embarrassment just before halftime, but not before his name began trending on social media for all the wrong reasons. Following a three and out on San Francisco's opening possession, Fitzpatrick connected on a 47-yard pass on Miami's first play of the day on offense, targeting the inexperienced Allen, who if not for the receiver stepping out of bounds, would've likely surrendered a touchdown. Three plays later while facing a 3rd and 11, Allen would bail the Miami offense out with a horse-collar tackle that gave the Dolphins an automatic first down and another chance at the end zone. Fitzpatrick and company would turn that gift into a touchdown just two plays later as tight-end Adam Shaheen hauled in the 3-yard score. 

San Francisco's second possession would be equally as disappointing as their first as they made it to midfield before turning the ball over on downs after a failed 4th and 1 attempt. Continuing his dissection of Brian Allen, Fitzpatrick found Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker for a 28-yard pass down the right sideline with Allen in coverage. The big play would put the Miami offense in enemy territory as they scored their second touchdown in as many possessions just several plays later. Trailing 14-0, it wasn't until the second quarter that the 49er offense finally showed up and put some points on the board. Setup by a 37-yard run from Mostert, the Niners needed only three plays before fullback Kyle Juszczyk rushed 7-yards up the middle to find the end zone and record his first rushing touchdown in a San Francisco uniform. Unfortunately for the Niners, Brian Allen was still on the field and was made an example of by Fitzpatrick. After allowing a 19-yard completion to Miami's Preston Williams, Allen committed a pass-interference penalty that gave the Dolphins 22-yards and allowed them to setup shop inside the 5-yardline. Following a clipping penalty on the offense and a 49ers sack, Miami suddenly found themselves in a 3rd and goal situation from the 22. In need of a big play, Fitzpatrick knew just where to go and who to target as he connected with DeVante Parker in the end zone who blew by the struggling Brian Allen. Trailing 21-7, coach Shanahan had seen enough and had no other choice than to pull Allen in favor of the ailing Witherspoon as 124 of Fitzpatrick's first 168 yards passing came against Allen. 

But Allen wouldn't be the only one benched and kept out of the second half as QB Jimmy Garoppolo also saw his day cut short as he threw back to back interceptions before the half, which allowed the Dolphins to tack on a trio of field goals and take a 30-7 lead into the locker room. In need of a miracle and in hopes of providing the same immediate spark that he gave the team just a week earlier, C.J. Beathard took over at quarterback to start the second half. And just like he did in relief of Nick Mullens in Week 4 against the Eagles, Beathard was able to breathe some life into the San Francisco offense, finding Kendrick Bourne for a 19-yard touchdown. Sadly, Miami would answer with a touchdown of their own when Fitzpatrick fired a dart down the middle for a 32-yard score by Preston Williams. San Francisco's final three possessions would end in a field goal, turnover on downs and a fumble as Miami ran away with the 43-17 rout. The 43-points allowed by San Francisco would be the most by an opponent in the 6+ year existence of Levi's Stadium and Miami's highest point total since Week 7 of the 2015 season. The 43-point outburst would mark only the 5th time since 2000 that the Dolphins scored 40+ points in a game, the fewest such games in the NFL in that span. 

While the 49ers were touted to possibly having an even better offensive-line this season than they a year ago, Sunday saw the San Francisco o-line allow 5+ sacks in consecutive weeks for the first time since Weeks 14 & 15 of the 2014 season. It was just one of the many things that contributed to a career-low 15.7 passer rating for Jimmy Garoppolo, the lowest by a 49ers QB since Cody Pickett (7.5) in Week 10 of the 2005 season. In contrast, Fitzpatrick turned into Fitzmagic by dazzling to a 154.5 passer rating, just shy of perfection and completing 22 of 28 passes for 350 yards, 3 touchdowns and no turnovers. Garoppolo and Beathard failed to combine for even half of that as the two tallied a combined 171 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions and a fumble. The lone bright spot on offense would come from Raheem Mostert who collected over a hundred yards of total yards with 90 of those yards coming on the ground off of just 11 carries. 

Week 6 Preview - Falling to 0-3 at home to start the season, the 49ers (2-3) will have their work cut out for them in Week 6 as they welcome in the 4-1 Los Angeles Rams who's only loss came in the final seconds on the road against the Bills in Week 3. Two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance of their own, the division rival Rams appear to have shaken off the funk that lingered just a season ago following their best season in decades, and are looking a lot like the 2018 Rams that took the league by surprise and won the division. With Todd Gurley III gone from the backfield and playing elsewhere, QB and Bay Area native Jared Goff has looked much improved from his 2019-self and hopes to keep the Niners win-less at home as he enters the game having logged a passer rating of 100+ in four straight games. Crossing their fingers that they'll have Richard Sherman back and healthy enough to play cornerback on Sunday in hopes of avoiding another Brian Allen-like disaster, the chances don't seem likely that San Francisco fans will get their wish. Head coach Kyle Shanahan will also need a much better game from his offensive-line in Week 6 as they'll be up against the best pass-rusher in the game of football when they meet with the Rams' Aaron Donald who is coming off a monster performance in which he tallied 4 sacks, two more than the San Francisco defense produced as a whole. The heavyweight match-up will be on NBC's Sunday Night Football as the Niners make their second SNF appearance in three weeks. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Blackballed

The topic of Colin Kaepernick still being without a job in the NFL a month before kickoff is one that has been weighing on my mind and one I've thought about writing about for awhile now, but the recent signing by the Miami Dolphins to bring in Jay Cutler, a guy who had to be talked out of retirement, was the final straw. Whether you like the guy or not, defend or oppose his decision to kneel during the national anthem, it's now become very obvious that the guy is being blackballed from the league. Need I remind you that Colin Kaepernick who never once has been arrested for anything, did absolutely nothing illegal when he peacefully protested by taking a stand against social injustices for the victims who aren't fortunate enough to have the outlet or stepping stone to do so and yet he's been treated like a felon.

Kaepernick, now at the ripe age of 29, has garnered very little interest from teams despite putting up solid numbers in 2016 and having very little to work with on an anemic 49ers offense. With a career record of 32 wins and 32 losses, including four playoffs wins and a trip to the Super Bowl in which Kaepernick was the deciding factor that helped San Francisco get over the hump and claim their first NFC Championship since a guy named Steve Young manned the position, the former quarterback out of Nevada boasts a resume that most players at the position could only dream about, including Cutler. And while Kaepernick might not be that same mysterious yet dominant quarterback that ran amok in the 2012 playoffs and put up record-setting numbers against the Green Bay Packers that still has cheese heads waking up in the middle of the night with cold sweats, the man still possesses more than enough talent to earn himself a job in the NFL, albeit as a starter or backup.

Even before Cutler and the Dolphins agreed on their one-year, $10 Million pact, Miami head coach Adam Gase considered both Tim Tebow who isn't even playing football these days and Kyle Orton who's last snap came in 2014, over Kaepernick. Two names that are rather laughable and who's success in the NFL pales in comparison to Kaepernick's. But hey, if a guy who's heart for the game has been questioned on multiple occasions walked away from the game of football to become a broadcaster, is known for being soft, has been much more injury prone, tends to rub his teammates the wrong way and throws for more interceptions is what Adam Gase and the Dolphins wanted and didn't mind overpaying for, then they definitely found their man in Cutler. I get it, the two spent time together in Chicago and Cutler, now 34-years of age, is familiar with the system in place, but if we're going off of numbers alone, those are tilted in Kaepernick's favor as well.

When comparing the production of the two quarterbacks since Kaepernick's first full year at the helm in 2013, Cutler has Kaepernick beat in passing touchdowns, 71 to 62, but he's also thrown almost twenty more interceptions than Kaepernick during that span, 46 to 27. And while Cutler has amassed more passing yards than Kaepernick, 11,151 to 10,422, Kaepernick more than makes up for it with his legs with 1,887 rushing yards compared to Cutler's 534, bringing the total to 14,196 total yards to 11,685 in favor of Kaepernick. Cutler who went 51-51 in his 8-year stint with the Bears, also has more fumbles lost (16), despite Kaepernick (13) having the ball in his hands a lot more as he's rushed for 8 touchdowns compared to only 3 from Cutler. Though Cutler narrowly edges Kaepernick in completion percentage by just over two percentage points, 61.9 to 59.8, Kaepernick's passer rating is more than three percentage points better at 88.9 to 85.7. Then again Kaepernick doesn't do himself any favors because he's got an afro. You know, because looks and hair styles matter in the NFL even if they'll be covered with a helmet, right?

Unfortunately, the Dolphins aren't the first team to scoff at the idea of bringing Kaepernick aboard and the guys those teams chose to sign instead are just as laughable. Before Ryan Tannehill suffered a knee injury in training camp which triggered Miami's need for a QB, the Baltimore Ravens had shown interest in Kaepernick for similar reasons as quarterback Joe Flacco has had to watch his team practice without him while he recovers from an ailing back. But once again, Kaepernick was passed on this time for a guy from the Arena Football League named David Olson. And then there's the Seattle Seahawks, a team that needs no introduction to Kaepernick or the tools he possesses having faced him several times while with the rival 49ers. Though Seattle would show Kaepernick the most interest of all and even flew him out to meet with the team personally, they would end up signing a guy who's thrown one fewer interception (12) than he has games played (13) in Austin Davis. What makes even less sense is their reasoning for signing Davis over Kaepernick as Seattle head coach Pete Carroll praised him by saying, "He's a starter in this league... I can't imagine that someone won't give him a chance to play." So apparently Carroll thinks Kaepernick's good enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL but not good enough to be a backup. I think all that rain and precipitation Seattle is known for has clouded Carroll's head... And then there's teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, both of whom have been in need of a quarterback for years but for whatever reason aren't pounding on Kaepernick's door or willing to at least kick the tires on the QB who has more career playoff wins since he's been in the league than either team has appearances.

For a league that's been known to give second chances, a la Michael Vick who actually committed a crime but had little to no problem finding a job in the NFL after being released from prison for his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring, Kaepernick's case is a little fishy and is blackballing in its purest form. Though NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his panel of team owners will never admit it, it's very clear that they're trying to send a message to the rest of the league and its players that if you use their platform to protest, no matter if it's legal, you'll suffer the consequences whether fair or not.


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49ers Fall Short on Final play in Miami

Week 12 - With a trip to Miami in store for Week 12 to take on the red-hot (6-4) Dolphins, winners of five straight, the upset-minded (1-9) 49ers would come out swinging in what would end up being a close game that came down to the wire. Having shown improvement week by week with the exception of last week's rain-filled loss to the Patriots, Niners QB Colin Kaepernick had arguably his best game of the season on Sunday against a dominant Miami defensive-line. Kaepernick would lead both teams in passing and rushing yardage on the day as he finished with 296 yards thru the air and another 113 yards on the ground to go along with 3 touchdown passes including one on San Francisco's opening-drive which put them ahead early on.

After forcing a three and out on Miami's opening possession to start the game, Kaepernick would help march the team down the field before dumping the ball off to Carlos Hyde who found the end zone to score his first receiving touchdown of the year and first touchdown overall since Week 5 vs Arizona. It would be a long time coming for the 49ers running back who started the season with six touchdowns scored in the first five weeks of the season but has since then cooled off while nursing a shoulder injury and sharing the load with fellow backs Shaun Draughn and DuJuan Harris. The early lead would be short-lived however, as San Francisco quickly found themselves trailing 14-7 heading into the half after back-to-back touchdown scoring drives by the Dolphins, the second of which set up by a Garrett Celek fumble which halted a 49ers drive inside enemy territory at the Miami 31 yard-line. It would also be San Francisco's 11th lost fumble of the season (most in the NFL). An equally disastrous start to the second half for the 49ers would put even more points on the board for the opposition as Kaepernick's pass intended for receiver Torrey Smith was intercepted on the first play of the second half which led to a Miami field goal.

Though the interception wasn't necessarily his fault as Smith should've came up with the catch, both Kaepernick and tight-end Garrett Celek who fumbled earlier would get to redeem themselves with a 4-yard touchdown, the first of Celek's career. Kaepernick wasn't the only one who had a fine performance on Sunday though, as Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill logged a solid outing with three touchdown passes of his own, including a 43-yarder late in the third quarter to receiver Kenny Stills and another from 15-yards out to Leonte Carroo to start the fourth quarter. Trailing 31 to 14 in the fourth, the 49ers would march all the way down to the 1-yard line before punching it in on a one-handed touchdown grab by Torrey Smith. In need of some help from the defense, the Niners would get just what the doctor ordered as they forced back-to-back Miami three and outs. Following a Phil Dawson field goal to bring them within a touchdown, San Francisco would be given one last chance to tie it late.

With the game clock a factor and no timeouts remaining, Kaepernick and company would march their way down to the 6-yard line with 5 seconds remaining. After an incomplete pass intended for Torrey Smith inside the end zone, the 49ers would have one final chance to score the game-tying touchdown. In a last-ditch effort and nobody open to throw to, Kaepernick scrambled and was stuffed by the collective effort of Ndamukong Suh and Kiko Alonso at the 2-yard line as time expired. San Francisco's late-game heroics would fall just short as Miami held on for the 31-24 win. With both teams going in complete opposite directions right now following Miami's first six-game win streak since 2005 and San Francisco on their worst losing-streak in their 70-year existence, the game that came down to the final play just goes to show that anything can happen on any given Sunday. While the 49ers secondary was picked apart time and time again by Tannehill, the San Francisco defense managed to stop the run quite well and held Dolphins rusher Jay Ajayi to only 45-yards on 18 carries, but one of those carries wound up being a touchdown. Having allowed a season average of 180 yards rushing which is the worst in the NFL, the 49ers D held Miami to less than a hundred yards rushing and forced their opponent to beat them thru the air which they did.

Week 13 Preview - After becoming the first player in franchise history with 3+ touchdown passes and 80+ rushing yards in the same game, QB Colin Kaepernick will now direct his attention to the (2-9) Chicago Bears as he gets set to face off against his former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Chicago, the only other team in the NFC with fewer than four wins, will hope to avenge the walk-off loss suffered at home to the 49ers in overtime a season ago. And with the 49ers leading the league this season in points allowed off turnovers, Fangio will be dialing up all he can in hopes of throwing Kaepernick off his game as the two were unable to face each other in last year's 49ers-Bears bout as Blaine Gabbert was under center for San Francisco. As for the Bears quarterback situation, Chicago will be without Jay Cutler who was recently placed on injured-reserved and will have surgery on Saturday to repair a torn labrum, thus opening the door for QB Matt Barkley. Barkley, a former QB of Chip Kelly's while with the Eagles, threw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in a six-point loss to Tennessee last week and will try duplicating those numbers against the 49ers and the head coach who drafted him out of USC.


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49ers Fall to Patriots in Brady's Homecoming

Week 11 - With Tom Brady and the 7-2 New England Patriots in town to face the 1-8 San Francisco 49ers, many Pats fans would be on hand despite the poor weather to witness Brady's homecoming to the Bay Area. And in their first ever game at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium, New England would rebound from a disappointing loss to Seattle the week before. San Francisco wouldn't go without a fight, however, as they stuck around virtually all game long until the Patriots pulled away in the fourth quarter. Growing up just a stones throw from Santa Clara in nearby San Mateo and a big 49ers fan as a kid, Brady, the one who's often been compared to Joe Montana, his boyhood idol, felt right at home on Sunday afternoon.

Even without his Pro-Bowl tight-end Rob Gronkowski who sat out of Sunday's game with a lung injury, Brady managed to throw for 280 yards and four touchdowns on the afternoon in New England's 30-17 win, including the first touchdown reception of rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchell's career, a 56-yarder in the fourth quarter. As for 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick who logged another turnover-free performance by throwing for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns, it would be his offensive-line that let him down early on in this one. After being sacked twice on San Francisco's first drive on offense and five times in the first half alone, the 49ers missed out on an opportunity to take the lead early on. With New England on top following a touchdown from Brady to Julian Edelman on the Pats' first possession, Kaepernick led the Niners down the field where they would set up shop at the 3-yard line, but they would fail to sniff the end zone and were forced to settle for a Phil Dawson field goal. Because of a missed extra-point attempt by Pats kicker Stephen Gostkowski, New England's lead would be 6-3. The usually automatic Gostkowski wasn't the only one who struggled with the PAT on Sunday as it would be a forgetful day for kickers all around the league.

At the time of Gostkowski's missed PAT attempt, there had already been nine missed extra-points on the day and that number would continue to rise. By day's end, there would be a record 12 missed PAT attempts on Sunday, further proof that the rule change the NFL implemented a season ago which moved the extra-point from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line has made a huge difference. One kicker that wouldn't contribute to the dubious record and had himself a day worth remembering, however, was 49ers kicker Phil Dawson who put San Francisco on the board in the first quarter by drilling a 33-yard field goal. What may have seemed like any other field goal would be a special one for Dawson as it was the 400th made field goal his career, making him just the 10th kicker in NFL history to reach that mark. Also worth noting is that Dawson's career field goal percentage of 84.7 is the best among all kickers in the 400 FG club as the 41-year old has been successful on 14-of-15 field goal attempts this season.

Sadly, it would be one of the few highlights San Francisco would see on Sunday as New England continued to score touchdowns instead of field goals. The Patriots' second possession would end much like their first as Brady found another target who found the end zone, this time to running back James White who scored from 9-yards out. The 49ers would manage to make a game out of it before the half as Kaepernick connected with tight-end Vance McDonald for an 18-yard touchdown that made it a 13-10 game and pulled San Francisco within three. Both teams would exchange punts in a scoreless third quarter before New England found the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter, a 5-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola. After the big play by Mitchell a couple possessions later and a Gostkowski field goal, the 49ers would soon find themselves down 30-10 after trailing by a field goal for nearly 20 minutes. San Francisco would find the end zone once more before it was all said and done as a garbage time touchdown pass from Kaepernick to Shaun Draughn on a wheel route inched the 49ers closer, but a failed onside-kick attempt would seal it as New England pulled off the 30-17 victory.

It would be sweet redemption for the Patriots who both bounced back from their Sunday Night loss a week ago and redeemed themselves from a loss at the hands of Kaepernick  and the 49ers in their most recent match-up in 2012, a 41-34 San Francisco victory in Foxborough on Sunday Night Football. The win for New England also catapulted Tom Brady in a tie with Brett Favre for the second most wins all-time with 199, trailing only Peyton Manning who has 200. As for the home team, it would be the ninth straight loss for the 49ers who are still in search of their first victory since their 28-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Rams in the season-opener. The 49ers lackluster run defense also made its return, allowing Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount to rush for 124 yards on 19 carries, this after holding Cardinals running back David Johnson to only 55-yards a week ago.

Week 12 - Hoping to shake off their 9-game skid, the 49ers will take to the road where they'll face the red-hot Miami Dolphins (6-4), winners of five straight. While the 49ers have been on a free-fall since their blowout Week 1 victory, the Dolphins have done the exact opposite, and now sit two games above .500 and in the playoff hunt after a disappointing 1-4 start to the season. Coming off a hard-fought win on the road in Los Angeles which saw Miami QB Ryan Tannenhill and the Dolphins erase a 10-0 deficit into a 14-10 victory with a last-minute touchdown to get the win. With run defense being the glaring weakness of this year's 49ers team, they'll have to keep close tabs on Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi who logged consecutive games of 200-yards rushing this season and has been a huge reason his team is riding a 5-game win-streak. If they can do that and contain Miami's run game, I like San Francisco's chances of putting an end to both Miami's win-streak and the 49ers' skid. The 49ers will also be hitting the field vs Miami without Pro Bowl safety Eric Reid who's been ruled out with a season-ending injury as he suffered a torn biceps in the loss to New England.


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Week 14: 49ers start slow but finish on high note vs Dolphins

Coming off a disappointing loss on the road to the St. Louis Rams who the 49ers fell to in overtime in Week 13, Colin Kaepernick and company returned home in hopes of avenging the young quarterback's first career loss as a starter by getting back in the win column and inching closer to a second consecutive NFC Western Division title. Facing a Miami Dolphins team led by rookie quarterback Ryan Tannenhill, all signs pointed towards the 49ers having a relatively easy day. But with neither team off to a hot start, the game remained close and would be up for grabs until the final minutes.

With the Dolphins winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, it was up to the 49ers to set the tone on offense. Wasting no time to challenge Miami's defense, Kaepernick, the second-year QB out of Nevada, connected with his tight-end Delanie Walker for a 20-yard pickup on the first play from scrimmage. But a fumble just several plays later on the same drive would derail any plans the 49ers had of getting on the board early. Luckily offensive tackle Anthony Davis was nearby to recover the ball after the sack and prevent an early disaster. With both teams exchanging punts, the game would remain scoreless heading into the second quarter. But not for long as the combination of Tannenhill and running back Reggie Bush stringed together a nice drive on Miami's second possession, ending in a Dan Carpenter field goal to put the Dolphins on top, 3-0.

Answering with a field goal of their own and with the game tied, 3-3, the 49ers began marching down the field with ease and seemed destined for the end zone. But with no timeouts left and the clock being a factor, San Francisco's most successful drive yet would be cut short, forcing coach Harbaugh to bring in David Akers for his second field goal of the day to give the 49ers a 6-3 lead at the half. With three-and-outs from both teams to begin the second half, the Dolphins special teams would shoot themselves in the foot with a costly turnover as Marcus Thigpen's muffed punt return set the 49ers up inside the 10-yard line and once again within striking distance. Two plays later, Frank Gore would capitalize on the miscue by plowing into the end zone from 1-yard out for the easy score. And while Gore would later eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for the sixth time in his career during the game, the touchdown tied him with Joe Perry and Roger Craig for the most rushing touchdowns in 49ers franchise history with 50.

Trailing 13-3, Miami would make it a 7-point game after Carpenter's 53-yard field goal. But another rushing touchdown this time from Anthony Dixon, would increase San Francisco's lead to 20-6 in the 4th quarter. In need of a touchdown to stand any chance of making a comeback, the Dolphins found themselves in a fourth and goal inside the 5 yard line. Throwing into the left corner of the end zone, Tannenhill connected with his tight-end Anthony Fasano who made a spectacular one-handed grab to make it a 20-13 game and pull his team within a touchdown. After turning the ball over on downs with a chance to tie it following another San Francisco three and out, Colin Kaepernick would put the finishing touches on the ballgame by trotting into the end zone untouched from 50 yards out for the dagger, sealing the 27-13 victory.

Noteworthy: Rookie running back LaMichael James who was a standout at the University of Oregon and set numerous rushing records at the collegiate level, made his NFL debut, logging 30 yards on 8 rushes. Frank Gore and Reggie Bush each ran for 60+ yards. Michael Crabtree led all receivers with 93 yards on 9 receptions. Colin Kaepernick threw for 185 and Ryan Tannenhill tallied 150 yards passing. 

Week 15 Preview: Improving to 9-3-1 on the year after their rout of the Dolphins, the 49ers get set to hit the road for a 2-game road trip against two of the most difficult teams to face in their respective venues. And though the 49ers do own a pair of solid road wins under their belt this year at the disposal of the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 12, their Week 15 match-up is a whole different animal. Having won 21 consecutive games at home in the month of December, the 10-3 New England Patriots will look to add to that mark in front of a nationally televised audience as both teams get set to square off on NBC's Sunday Night Football in a clash between the league's most stingiest defense and the NFL's highest-scoring offense. Winners of their last seven games including a blowout win on Monday night over the visiting Houston Texans which boasts one of the top defenses in the AFC, the Patriots have already won the AFC East and hope to ride their hot streak into the playoffs. And just like the 49ers defense which will have their hands full with MVP candidate Tom Brady, New England's offensive-line will also have plenty on their plate as they hope to contain 49ers defensive-end Aldon Smith who enters Sunday's meeting three sacks behind Michael Strahan's single-season sacks record (22.5).


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Hard Knocks: The Chad Johnson saga

Is there anyone out there who's had a worse week than Chad Johnson aka Chad Ochocinco? With an arrest, a divorce and a ticket out the door at Dolphins camp all in the last few days, the chances are unlikely. The former NFL superstar who's given us laugh after laugh in the past for his creative and often controversial touchdown celebrations was released from the Miami Dolphins on Monday, less than 48 hours after being arrested for allegedly headbutting his wife of 41-days in the driveway of their home. With a fallout for his actions to be expected, not even Johnson was prepared for the long week ahead that he had in store. Just a day after being dumped by the Miami Dolphins, his wife decided to dump him as well, ending their brief marriage which became official on July 4. 

Johnson has become more productive on our television screens as a member of the hit TV show 'Dancing with the Stars' and through social media on Twitter as of late than he has on the football field. After logging 1,000+ yards a season in seven of his first nine years in the NFL which led the AFC on two occasions and the entire league on another, the 6-time Pro Bowl wide-receiver hasn't quite been the player he once was and was an absolute ghost of his former self last season as a member of the AFC Champion New England Patriots. Despite having Tom Brady as his quarterback, the 3-time All-Pro wide-out was a non-factor during New England's title run and registered a career-low in receiving yards (276) as well as receptions with a measly 15 grabs and matched a career-low in touchdowns with 1 which he snagged his rookie year in 2001. Hoping to restore his image as well as his NFL career, Chad changed his last name from Ochocinco back to Johnson. But things have only gone downhill for the former star since then.

With his release, the Chad Johnson era in Miami ends before it could even begin, much to the dismay of Dolphins linebacker Karlos Danzby who told a Florida radio show that he disliked that Johnson wasn't given a third strike by the organization and that he hated that the team didn't stand behind him. With the 34-year old Johnson once again seeking work, though it may take awhile, an opportunity should present itself sooner or later as teams will look to fill holes before the start of the season with preseason injuries occurring. Not to mention he's a year younger than Randy Moss and four years younger than Terrell Owens, both of whom are seasoned receivers who have found work despite having their fair share of troubles in the past. Who knows, perhaps we'll see all three of them playing in the same division this year say if the St. Louis Rams take a chance with him. And though I haven't tuned in to this season of HBO's Hard Knocks, I'm taking a wild guess by saying the next episode will feature Johnson getting cut.


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Miami's tough off-season

Is there any team in the NFL that's had a more depressing off-season thus far than the Miami Dolphins? After failing to land such QB's as Peyton Manning, Alex Smith and Matt Flynn, the Fish instead had to settle for the much less appealing David Garrard who sat out the entire 2011 season to undergo surgery on a herniated disk. Prior to their 6-10 finish just a season ago, Miami appeared to be in the running for the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and the chance to potentially take super-prospect Andrew Luck when the team got off to a dismal 0-7 start. However, a late surge towards the end of the year would knock the Dolphins out of the 'suck for Luck' campaign Miami fans were so desperately hoping they'd still be in come season's end.

Despite missing out on Luck, there still appeared to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Dolphins organization who Peyton Manning was first linked to once he hit the free-agent market after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. Their chances of landing Manning were dealt a huge blow, however, when GM Jeff Ireland traded Pro-Bowl wide-out Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears in exchange for two third round draft picks. Having gotten rid of their best player on offense practically for a pack of peanuts, the team failed to lure Manning who just days later would inform the franchise that they were no longer on his list of desired destinations. With Manning no longer in the picture, Ireland and co. were forced to explore other options at the quarterback position with both Matt Flynn and Alex Smith being possible candidates. But just like Manning, the two would decide to sign elsewhere as Flynn flocked to Seattle and Smith re-signed with the 49ers.

Miami's misfortune would lead to them inking 10-year veteran David Garrard who missed all of last season due to injury. To his credit, Garrard has put up decent numbers since being named Jacksonville's starting quarterback in 2007, but he's seen little success aside from an 11-5 finish in '07 before being bounced in the playoffs. With Garrard now on board and playing for the Jaguars' inner-state rivals, I'm not sure Miami doesn't already have a solid QB in Matt Moore. After stepping in for the injured Chad Henne, Moore started the final 12 games of the season, winning half of them and showing progress as the season wore on. Adding Garrard to the mix doesn't hurt Miami, but they definitely didn't come out as winners this off-season and it wouldn't surprise me if they were in the same position next year. With everyone and their brother wanting to play for other Miami based sports teams such as the Miami Heat and the newly named Miami Marlins, the Dolphins on the other hand are stuck on the outside looking in as the team in town that nobody wants to play for. And as long as Jeff Ireland is pulling the strings as the team's GM, that might not change for years to come.

Disgruntled Dolphin fans expressed their disinterest in the way their team's been run the passed several years by protesting outside of the team's headquarters in Davie, Florida with paper bags over their heads and signs directed to the general manager that read, "Fireland." Since the retirement of Dan Marino following the 1999 season, the Dolphins franchise has experienced a never-ending QB carousel, having gone through 16 different starting quarterbacks without striking gold. With that number likely to increase this year now that Garrard's aboard, another tally might be added in another year or two if Miami goes after a quarterback with the likes of Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill who the team hasn't ruled out the chances of drafting just yet with the 8th overall pick. But even with a decent quarterback, more needs to be done in order to turn around what was has become one of the laughing stocks of the NFL back into the proud franchise they've been known to be. Regardless of who his starting quarterback is in 2012, recently hired head coach Joe Philbin should have a full plate of tasks to overcome in hopes of turning the franchise around.

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Suck 4 Luck

With three teams watching their playoff aspirations pass before their eyes still seeking their first win of the season heading into Week 8, it's not often you begin seeing those who don't believe they can bounce back and make a push down the stretch jockey for sole possession of the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. And with a super-prospect at the QB position in Stanford's Andrew Luck who's the consensus number one overall pick for the second consecutive year and has drawn comparisons to John Elway, a team tanking the season for a player with the potential to be one of the all-time greats isn't unlikely.

Though any team coming off an unsuccessful season and in the middle of a rebuilding period would like to plug a young quarterback of Luck's caliber into their franchise, Luck could however decide to pursue his senior year in college if he's not satisfied with the team who gets the first overall pick. And while he would risk leaving a bunch of money on the table and the chances of getting hurt, it wouldn't be the first time Luck ditched being the first overall pick as he chose to return to college last year despite his head coach Jim Harbaugh heading to the pros to coach the San Francisco 49ers. Some sources have even gone as far as saying Luck would consider pulling the same move Eli Manning made in '04 when being drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers who he refused to play for which eventually led to a trade to the New York Giants.

Those three teams who remain win-less are the Miami Dolphins, the St. Louis Rams and the Indianapolis Colts. But only the Dolphins and Colts are rumored to be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes as the Rams are unlikely to draft another quarterback given it was only a season ago that they selected last year's Rookie of the Year Sam Bradford first overall. The Miami Dolphins on the other hand are in desperate need of a quarterback having started both Chad Henne and Matt Moore this season with little to nothing to show for. Meanwhile in Indy, the Colts have been without arguably the best QB in all football since the beginning of training camp when it was learned that Peyton Manning would need neck surgery for the second time this year. The news of Manning's injury prompted the front-office to sign veteran QB Kerry Collins who agreed to come out of retirement, but would be benched in favor of backup Curtis Painter after only three weeks.

The Colts' failure to tally a win this late in the season was something nobody saw coming and proves just how dependent the franchise really is on the great Peyton Manning, perhaps more so than any other team is with their star player. Even the New England Patriots who were without Manning's arch-rival Tom Brady in '08 were able to finish the season 11-5 with then backup QB Matt Cassel under center when Brady went down during the season-opener with a knee injury that put him on the shelf for the entire season. But just how much is Manning's absence to blame for the Colts' dismal 0-7 start? Many are pointing the finger at the Colts defense or the lack thereof following their most recent loss on Sunday night in which they were dismantled by a final score of 62-7 to the New Orleans Saints. The critics have said Manning's health wouldn't have changed he fact that the D still gave up 62 points when really Indy's offense would've been on the field longer if Manning was healthy, thus preventing less chances for New Orleans to score.

Manning's 2011 campaign hasn't been ruled out just yet as doctors say there's still a chance he can see live action this season, but with the team already out of playoff contention come Manning's return, why risk bringing him back with the possibility of him not being at full strength and hurting his neck again? While the Dolphins selecting Andrew Luck is a no-brainer if they're given the opportunity, the question of whether or not the Colts should do the same is in the air. With an aging Peyton Manning at the helm could we see Indianapolis steal a page out of Green Bay's book by letting Manning show Luck the ropes much like Brett Favre did with Aaron Rodgers?


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