Setting the Stage for the Week 16 Dolphins-49ers Matchup

Breaking down all the details for the Miami Dolphins-San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) escapes San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium in 2022. / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins will look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they face the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 16 Dolphins-49ers matchup.

---

MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-8) vs. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-8)

• Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024
• Time: 4:25 PM ET
• Site: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
• Weather Channel Forecast: The temperature in Miami Gardens 1 and 4 p.m. ET on Sunday is expected to be between 72-74 degrees with sunny and mostly sunny skies. No precipitation is predicted, and the wind is expected to be 8-9 mph.
• TV: CBS
• Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sidelines)

Additional content:
-- Have the Dolphins or 49ers been more disappointing?
-- What will the offensive line look like against the 49ers?

---

FINAL INJURY REPORT

• Dolphins — LS Blake Ferguson (non-football illness) is out; WR Dee Eskridge (knee) and WR Jaylen Waddle (knee) are doubtful; T Terron Armstead (knee), LB Bradley Chubb (knee), LB Cameron Goode (knee), WR Tyreek Hill (wrist/personal) and T Kendall Lamm (back) are questionable.

• 49ers — RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) and T Trent Williams (ankle) are out; DL Robert Beal Jr. (ankle), DE Nick Bosa (hip/oblique) and LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles/knee) are questionable.

---

DOLPHINS-49ERS REGULAR SEASON HISTORY

Regular Season Series History: Dolphins lead 8-6

Last Five Meetings:

1. December 4, 2022 at San Francisco — 49ers 33, Dolphins 17
2. October 11, 2020 at San Francisco — Dolphins 40, 49ers 17
3. November 27, 2016 at Miami — Dolphins 31, 49ers 24
4. December 9, 2012 at San Francisco — 49ers 27, Dolphins 13
5. December 14, 2008 at Miami — Dolphins 14, 49ers 9

Series Superlatives:

• Dolphins' Largest Margin of Victory: 26 (2020 at San Francisco; Dolphins 43, 49ers 17)
• Dolphins' Largest Margin of Defeat: 24 (1992 at San Francisco; 49ers 27, Dolphins 3 ... 1995 at Miami; 49ers 44, Dolphins 20)
• Highest-Scoring Matchup: 64 points (1995 at Miami; 49ers 44, Dolphins 20)
• Lowest-Scoring Matchup: 21 points (2001 at San Francisco; 49ers 21, Dolphins 0)

Connections:

• Former 49ers Players with the Dolphins: RB Raheem Mostert, RB Jeff Wilson Jr., WR River Cracraft, offensive assistant Max McCaffrey
• Former 49ers Coaches with the Dolphins: Head coach Mike McDaniel, assistant head coach/tight ends Jon Embree, run game coordinator/LB coach Joe Barry, pass game coordinator/secondary coach Brian Duker, WR coach/pass game specialist Wes Welker, OL coach Butch Barry
• Former Dolphins Players with the 49ers: C Jake Brendel, LS Taybor Pepper, TE Eric Saubert, QB coach Brian Griese, football personnel advisor Frank Gore
• Former Dolphins Coaches with the 49ers: Run game coordinator/OL coach Chris Foerster, TE coach Brian Fleury, DL coach Kris Kocurek

---

49ERS SCOUTING REPORT

The 49ers find themselves pretty much in the same situation as the Dolphins, a team that has failed to meet expectations clinging to faint playoff hopes. Theirs are even more realistic than those of the Dolphins because one of the musts for the 49ers is having the Week 18 game between the L.A. Rams and Seattle Seahawks end in a tie, end there hasn't been one of those so far this season. Strangely, the 49ers have the same 6-8 record as the Dolphins despite ranking third in the NFL in total defense and eighth in total offense. The big issue has been an inability to win close games, with the 49ers at 2-5 in games decided by one score or less.

---

THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN

The 49ers are coming off an outing where they scored six points (rain was a factor) in what basically was a must-win game and the Dolphins are coming off a great defensive performance at Houston. Combine that with the 49ers having lost a fourth running back to injury and it's easy to see the Dolphins shutting down the 49ers offense. The San Francisco defense has talent, but key players Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw both are questionable for the game.

---

THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE

The Dolphins really struggled at Houston last week and will have its hands full against what is a good 49ers defense, even if Bosa and Greenlaw wind up not playing. Miami likely will be without Jaylen Waddle because of his knee injury and the status of Tyreek Hill became in question after he was listed (seemingly out of nowhere) as questionable on the final injury report. The Dolphins running game has been stuck in neutral for over a month, so it can't be counted on to pick up the slack if the passing game stalls.

---

FINAL DOLPHINS-49ERS PREDICTION

What looked like a battle of contenders when the schedule came out now has become an elimination game with two more weeks left to go. These were two teams that entered the season with loads of talent on offense, but at this stage there's every reason to expect a defensive battle. There's no reason to feel overly confident about the Dolphins' ability to win this game after the performance at Houston, other than the game being played in Miami against a 49ers team whose season basically crashed with their Thursday night loss against the Rams in Week 15. This probably won't be a pretty game, but we'd expect the Dolphins to stay alive for at least one more week.

Final Score: Dolphins 20, 49ers 17