G13: San Francisco 27, Dolphins 13 (Final): Not enough offense, key mistakes bury Miami

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G13: DOLPHINS @ SAN FRANCISCO: Final: Not enough offense, a few defensive lapses and one critical special-teams mistake by Thigpen doom Miami in a 27-13 loss. Game felt closer than the final score, but it is what it is. Dolphins 5-8. ..... 4Q: Game time. Frans up 27-13 with 2 minutes left as Kaepernick busts loose for 50-yard scoring run. ... Game time? Dolphins fail on 4th down in SF territory with 4 minutes left. Two straight passes, receivers getting separation on neither. ... Dolphs 7 down with 5:45 left and the ball. You in the mood to be a hero, Tannehill? ... Miami within 20-13 mid-quarter on Tannehill-to-Fasano 4-yard scoring pass. Great diving catch in corner of end zone by Fasano, one of best plays I have seen him make. ... Frans up 20-6 after Dixon 1-yard TD run. ..... 3Q: Niners knockin' on the door as quarter ends. ... Miami within 13-6 on carpenter 53-yard beauty. Thigpen (partly) atones with 56-yard kick return to help along the score. ... Dolphins now down 13-3 on Gore 1-yard TD run set up by Thigpen muffed punt that gave Niners ball first and goal. Thigpen cracks this game open with a huge error. ... Misi injured for Dolphs. ..... Encouraging. Half: Encouraging. Stout defense and Tannehill (10-for-14) is sharp. Still wouldn't fancy a Miami win, but Dolphins have showed up big. ..... 2Q: Frans up 6-3 on Akers 37-yard FG on last play of half, after Wake's second sack. ... Dumb special-teams mistake by Freeny on costs Miami about 18 yards. ... Game at 3-3 after Akers 30-yard kick. Dolphs forced a FG when Dansby stuffed Gore on 3rd and short. Stout overall performance by Miami so far. ... The good news? MIA up 3-0 on Carpenter 28-yard kick. The bad news? Dolphs were knockin' on the TD door but got stymied when LT Jonathan Martin had a false-start penalty and got steamrolled for a sack. ..... 1Q: Miami threatening as quarter ends. ... punts on first possesssion but saw some positive signs from offense: A deep route (complete to Hartline) and Bush on the receiving end. More, please. ... Dolphins force Niners punt on game-opening series. Rattling Kaepernick a key for Miami to have a shot today. ..... Original post: Well this is the city and the opponent you probably don't want to visit if yours is a struggling offense as Miami's currently is. The Dolphins have averaged a meager 15.4 points per game during the 1-4 slide that has dragged the season mark to 5-7 and left playoff hopes on life-support. Rookie QB Ryan Tannehill has hit a lull, and now left tackle Jake Long is lost for the rest of the season. All of this makes for a tough, tough challenge against a 49ers defense that leads the league in fewest points allowed and brings the NFL-leading sacker in Aldon Smith. Not since the opener at Houston have I felt less optimistic about a Dolphins victory. I do think Miami's defense can keep the game inside the 10-point spread. The best upset hope is probably rooted in young Frans QB Colin Kaepernick being forced into mistakes. Miami will need a turnover-free game, solid special-teams play and a couple of defensive takeaways to have a real shot. [Pictured: 49ers vs. Dolphins QBs, then and now: Joe Montana vs. Dan Marino, to make you weep with nostalgia, and Tats Kaepernick vs. R.T.] My pick: 49ers, 23-14.

Join us right back here at kickoff for our Live Boutique Blog. You bring the chips and firecrackers. I got the Pabst Blue Ribbons on ice.

Comments

[Anti Christ]

Cote picking the 49ers,Miami now has a chance.

[FZB]

Hey Anti,

Good luck at the game today,enjoy

alright, I'm pretty sure is going to be a low scoring game, our defense needs to show up and stop the 9res run game, their playing basically a rookie QB also so he's bound to make a mistake or two.

hopefully we can pull off the upset, GO DOLPHINS!!!

[Dolphin Slave]

The "irony" is, the Dolphins have NO SHOT of getting back into the play-offs as long as that idiot Ireland is running the show.

[Sigh]

The 49ers drafted better and handled free agency better. Which team official is responsible for those areas? The GM.

The 49ers entire 2012 draft class is just be developed while the Dolphins will need almost all of its 2013 draft class to be All-Pros to have a chance of being a playoff team again.

Those stats of Tannehill's could easily lead on to believe that he's going to be the biggest bust of the 2012 draft class. Who picked him at number eight? The GM?

[dukey]

Looking at that pick of Montana and Marino reminds me of how empty Dolphin fans hopes & dreams were at the time. Miami would surely win Vinny Trophy during Marino's tenure. I mean so he had tough showing his first time at bat against excellent 49ers team but next year Vinny Trophy. Definitely next year..

[dukey]

Wow a rookie QB has questionable numbers while playing for a SAD offense, with Reggie Bush as the only potential homerun threat, and said QB is a bust? Could be true but even Aaron Rogers had a grace period. Still Miami would be well served to bring in potential QBs out of every draft. Oh yeah don't bring in Charlie Batch as free agent signing.

[Mike the Drool Bucket]

How can anyone stand to listen do Dierdorf suck up to the niners without puking??
Answer me that, dukey!

[dukey]

Hell no.

[M the D. B.]

Dierdor's panties are wet!

[dukey]

What a revolting image but then again so is the Dolphins franchise!

[Bertsot]

This is just pathetic. I feel like this is the best we will ever see from this team. Disappointing loss after disappointing loss with no offensive talent. ALL of our receivers would be at best #3 on any other team. This includes Hartline for all of you Hartline apologists. Yet I'm positive that Ross will bring back Ireland for another year. Ross better hope they change the blackout rules from 85% to 50% cause no one will show up to the games next year. Between this loser Ross and the thieves known as the Miami Marlins this has become by far the worst sports city in the country. Please Ross and Loria either move these teams or sell them. ENOUGH.

[dukey]

Boss Ross move Fins to Butte, Montana but leave Fins franchise tag in Miami for a winning owner. Thank you sir. Yes, yes of course you can take Jeffy with you!

[dukey]

Enough Cote, Bring on Dolphins dissatisfaction meter!

[Rat Bastidd]

Dan Diedorf is the most unprofessional color commentator I can think of. You might ask why he hates us so much. The way I see it, he and Conrad "Leg-biter" Dobler were OL on a pathetic St Louis Cardinals team that the Dolphins once beat 52 - 14 or something like that. When he was in his heyday the Dolphins were great. That' the way I see it. So now he has a lifetime grudge and a bully pulpit to channel his hatred

[Rat Bastidd]

As for Bertsot and his Hartline apologist comment. You must be one of those frontrunning phonies that jumped on the Dolphins bandwagon when Marino was hot. Hartline is a good receiver that would be great if he was on a team with a dynamic offense with a QB like Brady or Rivers, Brees, Rogers or Payton Manning. He's better than he was but his numbers will likely get better as we get more talent. Don't panic