The last time the 49ers played the Dolphins, San Francisco was an emerging force in the NFC.
Jim Harbaugh’s team was solid offensively and defensively, and a young quarterback named Colin Kaepernick looked dynamic in a 27-13 victory over Miami in December of 2012. Kaepernick ran 50 yards for a touchdown and completed 18-of-23 throws as San Francisco outscored Miami 21-10 in the second half.
These days, that kind of second-half offensive outburst has been missing.
At 1-9, the 49ers have myriad problems. But one glaring weakness has been the team’s vanishing offense in the second half of games, particularly in the third quarter.
The 49ers have been outscored 58-26 in the third period this season. Last week, the 49ers trailed just 13-10 at the half vs. the Patriots but lost, 30-17. It’s a script the team has followed often in losing a franchise-record nine consecutive games.
Head coach Chip Kelly says the second-half failure has been “a combination of a lot of things.”
“The 49ers, quarterback Colin Kaepernick in particular, have developed a familiar pattern,” wrote Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group this week. “They do some good things in the first and generally look competitive. And then comes the third quarter.”
Local
McDonald wrote that Kelly has begun hinting what the big problem is, “a lack of talent.”
Oddsmakers are predicting San Francisco won’t solve its woes this week, after having to make a cross-country trip to play the host Dolphins at 10 a.m. (Bay Area time). They’ve made Miami an 8-point favorite.
The Dolphins have a talented, breakout running back in Jay Ajayi who has 802 rushing yards and is No. 2 in the league in average yards per carry (5.6). He could have a huge day against the 49ers’ league-worst rushing defense. Quarterback Tryan Tannehill also has a dynamic receiver in DeVante Parker, who has 182 yards and a TD over his past two games.
Kaepernick, too, may have difficult going against the Dolphins secondary, which ranks as the NFL’s eighth-best group against opposing passers, allowing just 224.5 yards per game. Miami also has sacked opposing QBs 23 times.
This week, former Raiders head coach John Madden, a Hall of Famer, told Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group that the Dolphins, led by first-year coach Adam Gase, are formidable.
“They’re well coached,” Madden told Inman. “You can see that, and that comes out.”
