Ndamukong Suh tackled Colin Kaepernick 2 yards short of the goal line as time ran out, and the Miami Dolphins handed the San Francisco 49ers a franchise-record 10th consecutive loss with a 31-24 victory on Sunday.
Ryan Tannehill threw for 285 yards and three scores to compensate for a sputtering Miami ground game.
With the 49ers trailing by seven, Kaepernick moved them from their 38 to the 6 in the final 1:44. But he threw incomplete on first down, and then was tackled from behind by the 305-pound Suh on the final play.
The Dolphins (7-4) extended their winning streak to six games, their longest since 2005. Kaepernick passed for three TDs, but the 49ers (1-10) still haven’t won since the season opener.
Tannehill went 20 for 30, ran for 34 yards and had no turnovers. He threw scoring passes of 16 yards to Dion Sims, 43 yards to Kenny Stills and 15 yards to rookie Leonte Carroo.
Kaepernick tried to keep up. Jeered loudly at the start of the game for his political views, Kaepernick went 29 for 46 for 296 yards and ran for 113 on 10 carries.
Miami won even though Jay Ajayi had trouble finding running room behind an offensive line missing three starters. He gained 45 yards in 18 carries against a team ranked last in the league in run defense.
Tannehill put the Dolphins ahead to stay with his 100th touchdown pass in his fifth NFL season, and Carroo’s first career touchdown made it 31-14 with 11:31 left.
It was a different approach for the Dolphins, who had rallied in fourth quarter in their four previous games.
This time the opponents mounted a comeback. Torrey Smith made a one-handed catch for a 1-yard touchdown to help the 49ers close to 31-24 with less than three minutes left, and they quickly forced a punt to set up the exciting finish.
Kaepernick drew boos when he and the rest of the 49ers offense trotted onto the field for their first series, and more jeers and whistles just before the first snap.
The jeering followed criticism of Kaepernick for defending former Cuban leader Fidel Castro during a conference call Wednesday with the South Florida media. Castro, who died Friday, is widely reviled among South Florida’s large Cuban American population.
Kaepernick has drawn strong, mixed reactions for kneeling during the national anthem all season to protest the treatment of minorities. He fell to 0-6 as a starter this year.
Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso recovered a fumble to end a 49ers threat and intercepted a deflected pass to set up a field goal. He has four takeaways in the past three games.
Teammate Cameron Wake had a sack for the sixth game in a row.
Miami’s DeVante Parker made a diving catch for 46 yards to set up a touchdown. He had a leaping 32-yard reception and a 10-yard touchdown catch wiped out by replay review reversals.
Parker went to the locker room with a back injury late in the third quarter.
The Dolphins played without left tackle Branden Albert (left wrist), left guard Laremy Tunsil (shoulder) and center Mike Pouncey (hip). All were inactive.
Up Next
49ers: Visit the lowly Chicago Bears next Sunday.
Dolphins: Visit the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday in a matchup of playoff contenders.
