The 49ers two-game win streak was snapped in Miami with a 14-9 road loss to the Dolphins.
Following a missed field goal by the Dolphins with under three minutes left in the game, the 49ers found themselves trailing by 5 and in need of a touchdown. The offense drove down to the Dolphins 21-yardline, but on 4th and 10, quarterback Shaun Hill was sacked by linebacker Joey Porter, ending the 49ers chances of stealing the victory away from Miami.
"We knew exactly what we needed to do coming in," said head coach Mike Singletary. "We knew the game would come down to this. The last minute, the last 40 seconds, it was just that kind of day. We came out on the short end."
The 49ers won the game on paper, but paper doesn't count.
Despite netting 70 yards more of total offense and holding the ball for sixteen minutes longer than the Dolphins, the 49ers were outscored as the offense lost the field position battle and managed only three field goals.
**1st Quarter Scoring Summary
**Quarterback Chad Pennington needed just three plays to get his team into the end zone on the Dolphins opening drive of the game, and all three went to his tight ends. David Martin caught a 5-yard pass to open the game, followed by a 12-yard pass to Anthony Fasano. Following a false start, Pennington aired it out for Martin, who made the catch over safety Mark Roman and then outran Michael Lewis for a 61-yard touchdown.
The 49ers immediately responded with a 10-play, 60-yard scoring drive capped by Joe Nedney's 38-yard field goal to cut the Dolphins lead to 7-3 with 3:57 left in the first quarter. DeShaun Foster started off the drive with a 17-yard pass play from Shaun Hill. Foster's catch was immediately followed by another 17-yard pass play to tight end Vernon Davis. The 49ers drove to the Dolphins 20-yardline before the drive stalled.
**2nd Quarter Scoring Summary
**The Dolphins made use of a 27-yard punt return by Davone Bess to quickly get on the board in just four plays with a 19-yard pass from Pennington to tight end Joey Haynos. The second quarter drive covered 34 yards, ended with 8:27 to go in the quarter, and gave the Dolphins a 14-3 edge.
The 49ers drove to the Miami 29 late in the half, but a penalty and a sack backed them out of field goal range and led to an Andy Lee punt instead.
**3rd Quarter Scoring Summary
**The 49ers offense held on to the ball for 16 plays and 82 yards on their opening drive of the third quarter, but got only three points out of it on Nedney's 23-yard field goal.
**4th Quarter Scoring Summary
**With 9:26 still to go, the 49ers added another 28-yard field goal by Nedney to trim the Dolphins lead to five at 14-9. The 13-play drive covered 69 yards. The long play of the drive was a 20-yard pass from Hill to Isaac Bruce.
The Dolphins drove into 49ers territory late in the game and attempted a 49-yard field goal that would have given them an 8-point lead. But the field goal try by Dan Carpenter hit the crossbar, giving the 49ers offense good field position at their own 39.
Hill and company drove down to the Dolphins 21 where Hill spiked the ball on 1st and 10. Two incompletions led to the fateful fourth down play when Porter took Hill down for a sack.
Pregame Notes: Running back Frank Gore didn't play in the game because of an ankle injury that forced him out early last week against the Jets. Returner Allen Rossum was also on the inactive list, meaning wide receiver Dominique Zeigler returned punts.