Quietly, perhaps subtly, the Dolphins have made themselves a factor in the AFC. But they still have some questions to answer.
The Dolphins won their sixth straight game, beating the 49ers x-x on what should have been a more a comfortable win, considering their late lead and opponent.
The Dolphins (7-4) were up 31-14 in the fourth quarter, but struggled to put the 49ers away late in the game, unable to run on a team that has been pretty forgiving in that regard all season.
Ryan Tannehill was 20-of-30 for 285 yards and three touchdowns, the kind of efficient performance he’s been turning in more of lately.
The 49ers are on a streak of their own, having lost 10 in a row since opening the season with that long-ago win over the Rams.
And while they can’t compete with good teams at the moment, quarterback Colin Kaepernick was actually quite good.
He was 29-of-46 for 296 yards passing for three touchdowns and an interception, and also ran 10 times for 113 yards. It was his best performance since taking over for Blaine Gabbert midseason. He moved them into position for a game-tying touchdown late in the game, but his desperate last-second run was stopped by Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh at the 2-yard line.