The Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality was established five years ago to promote unity and combat systemic racism. RISE says it has helped 12,000 students, athletes, coaches, and staff at all levels to help champion social justice and improve race relations.

Ross has now committed $30 million to RISE.

“Growing up in Detroit, I saw firsthand what racism did to tear apart our community, destroy lives and further inequality,” Ross said in a statement. “I started RISE based on the belief that our nation must address the scourge of racism directly to achieve true unity. Now more than ever, our mission and the need for this work is clear.”

RISE says that over the next four years it will continue to work with such organizations as NASCAR, PGA of America, the United States Tennis Association, USA Track, and Field. the National Lacrosse League and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.

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The former University of Wyoming star was part of a formidable backfield that included his best friend, Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka. They earned the nicknames Butch and Sundance, inspired by the popular 1969 movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

Kiick (“Butch”) made the American Football League All-Star team in his first two seasons and played on Miami’s back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams in 1972-73. Kiick had two touchdowns for the ’72 Dolphins in the AFC championship game, and also scored in the Super Bowl victory that capped their 17-0 season under Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula.

Shula died May 4 at age 90.

Kiick lived in an assisted living home in recent years. Allie Kiick said that because of the coronavirus, visitors weren’t being allowed in his room.

“I miss my dad,” she wrote Thursday on Twitter. “It’s pretty hard when you’re sitting on the outside of the glass and can’t do anything to cheer him up. He’s lost the spark in his eyes as anyone would in this situation.”

In his NFL heyday, Kiick and the speedier Mercury Morris split playing time with the Dolphins during the 1972-73 seasons, which gave Shula a potent one-two punch at halfback but sometimes led to second-guessing by fans.

“Kiick and Mercury Morris both contributed,” Shula said. “Every Monday there was a controversy, but the bottom line wasn’t bad.”

Csonka compounded the challenge for opponents. He and Kiick met at an all-star game the summer they joined the Dolphins, and as running mates they roomed together, partied together and briefly held out together seeking better contracts.

In 1975, Kiick, Csonka and future Hall of Famer Paul Warfield left the Dolphins for the WFL. The package was a watershed worth nearly $4 million over three years for the three players, who played for the Memphis Southmen.

But the WFL folded, and Kiick returned to the NFL for his final two seasons, playing for Denver and Washington.

James Forrest Kiick was born Aug. 9, 1946, in Lincoln Park, New Jersey. He led Wyoming in rushing three years in a row and was inducted into their athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.

Miami drafted Kiick in the fifth round in 1968. He became a starter as a rookie and led the AFL in touchdowns rushing in 1969 with nine.

He had his best season statistically for Miami’s 1971 Super Bowl team, when he rushed for 738 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry, both career highs.

Kiick also was an excellent blocker and a threat as a receiver. He had 233 career receptions for 2,302 yards.

Following retirement, Kiick worked as a private investigator for the Broward County public defender’s office.

“He is the best dad I could have ever asked for, and will forever be a legend and my hero,” Allie Kiick wrote on Twitter after his death. She’s professional tennis player who has been ranked in the top 150 on the women’s tour.

Jim Kiick’s father, George, played fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940 and 1945.

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The cause for mirth: the Alabama-Clemson national championship game and trash-talking between Dolphins teammates from the two schools.

Anything to change the subject.

The Dolphins aren’t accustomed to losing in the playoffs, because they’re not accustomed to reaching the playoffs, and so they took Sunday’s 30-12 loss at Pittsburgh hard. The drubbing wasn’t a surprise to outsiders, but rookie coach Adam Gase had his young team optimistic about leaving a more impressive mark on the postseason.

”We truly believe in this room that we could make a run, a serious run, and we still truly believe that,” receiver Kenny Still said. ”We feel like we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

There was cause for consolation because the loss came in Miami’s first postseason game since 2008. That’s progress, Dolphins style.

More improvement is needed for the franchise to earn its first playoff win since 2000. Here are things to know as the Dolphins begin looking toward the 2017 kickoff:

DEFENSE: Miami finished the regular season 10-6 and earned an AFC wild-card berth despite allowing a franchise-record 6,122 yards, and most of the offseason moves will likely involve the defense. Changes could include finding a replacement for first-year defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who is being considered for several head coaching jobs.

Kiko Alonso is the only linebacker certain to return, and a secondary decimated by injuries needs attention. Miami also faces decisions at end, with Pro Bowler Cameron Wake turning 35 this month and Andre Branch becoming a free agent.

OFFENSE: The Dolphins looked mighty when center Mike Pouncey was healthy and paving the way for back-to-back 200-yard games by running back Jay Ajayi. But Pouncey played only five games because of recurring hip issues. Now 27, he hasn’t made it through a full year since 2012, but said he plans to play several more seasons.

”I’m not retiring until 10 years. Trust me,” Pouncey said with a smile.

Keeping the team’s five best blockers together is a tantalizing prospect, guard Jermon Bushrod said.

”It would be something special,” he said. ”The times we did play together we were rolling. We had a good thing going.”

But Bushrod will become a free agent, and the Dolphins must decide whether to keep 32-year-old left tackle Branden Albert, who hasn’t played a full season since 2011.

Stills, who led Miami with nine touchdowns, is also due to become a free agent.

QUARTERBACK: Five-year veteran Ryan Tannehill had a career-high passer rating of 93.5, but still hasn’t appeared in the playoffs. He missed Sunday’s game due to a sprained left knee that sidelined him for the final three weeks of the season. Surgery hasn’t been ruled out, and it’s uncertain how much the injury will compromise Tannehill’s mobility, one of his strengths.

HIERARCHY: For the first time in several years, the offseason begins with franchise leadership entrenched. Football operations chief Mike Tannenbaum and general manager Chris Grier deserve credit for a solid 2016 draft and the acquisitions of Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell.

Gase led a turnaround from a 1-4 start and earned raves from his players.

”He is 100 percent the right guy for this job,” said quarterback Matt Moore, who started the final three games. ”From where we started and the history of this team to how we finished, it’s pretty impressive.”

THE ROSS TAKE: Team owner Stephen Ross had to change coaches four times since 2011 to find a winner. He said he’s happy with the direction of the franchise, but not satisfied.

”I’ll only be satisfied when we win the Super Bowl,” Ross said.

How close are the Dolphins to that?

”Three games away,” Ross said. ”That’s how close we are.”

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For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve-Wine. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/steven-wine

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Three hours against the Pittsburgh Steelers changed everything. Over the course of four quarters Ajayi angrily churned through Pittsburgh’s defense relentlessly, shaking off some tacklers, running over others on sprinting by the rest on his way to 204 yards and two scores in a 30-15 whipping that doubled as a coming out party.

No big deal. Only the most rushing yards given up by the Steelers in 16 years. Pittsburgh walked into Hard Rock Stadium 4-1 and rolling. The Steelers trudged out wondering what – or who, to be more exact – hit them.

”It was a humbling experience for us,” nose tackle Javon Hargrave said. ”We went out there and got our butts whipped.”

The AFC North champions have no interest in repeating the experience Sunday when Ajayi and the Dolphins (10-6) visit the Steelers (11-5) in the wild-card round. Ajayi has proven his breakout was no ”lighting strike,” as Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin put it. Ajayi struck again and again over the final 11 weeks on his way to 1,265 yards that helped propel Miami back to the postseason for the first time in eight years.

”I was confident I would have a good day,” Ajayi said about the first meeting. ”The confidence level hasn’t changed. It’s exciting. Playoff game, winner go home. Stakes are higher. Chance to show your abilities on a big stage.”

And an opportunity for Pittsburgh’s defense to show just how much it’s matured. Looking back, the vibe that muggy afternoon was just ”weird.” Defensive end Cam Heyward missed the first game of his career with a hamstring injury. Linebacker Ryan Shazier stood on the sideline in a T-shirt resting an achy right knee watching the 11 guys on the field getting manhandled.

”It definitely hurt to see us get beat up like that,” said Shazier, who will play this time around. ”The things that went and how the game occurred. I think everybody understands how much it hurts. Everybody in this locker room been there that day, is ready to play these guys again and really show them that’s not going to happen again.”

For the most part, it hasn’t even with Heyward eventually being lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle in a Week 10 loss to Dallas . That game ended with Ezekiel Elliott darting to the end zone twice in the final two minutes through the kind of massive holes hard to open in practice, let alone when it counts. The Steelers walked off the field 4-5 and in serious trouble.

Then, quite quickly, the kids grew up even with their captain on injured reserve. Forced to get creative, defensive coordinator Keith Butler started moving Stephon Tuitt up and down the line and relying more heavily on Hargrave and well-traveled Ricardo Mathews. James Harrison and Bud Dupree ended the five-man rotation at outside linebacker because they provided the kind of physicality in the run game their brethren could not. Throw in an offense that started hogging the ball like a 3-year-old protecting his favorite toy and all of a sudden, the sledding against the Steelers became far tougher.

Pittsburgh allowed just 64.6 yards rushing a game during five straight wins that vaulted them back into first in the AFC North. Though they wobbled a bit over the final two weeks, the difference between the defense Ajayi saw in October and the one he’ll see on the second Sunday in January is considerable. Something not lost on Ajayi.

”They’re confident they’re doing things right so it’s exciting,” Ajayi said. ”All that stuff that happened in the regular season is out the window.”

Particularly with quarterback Ryan Tannehill out . Ajayi is no longer a secret and opponents have adjusted. He’s gone over 80 yards just once over the final eight weeks, a 206-yard explosion in a Week 15 win over Buffalo that sealed a playoff berth. Ajayi expects Pittsburgh to crowd the line of scrimmage and try to get their hands on him before he gets loose in the secondary, where hitting the 6-foot, 216-pounder is not for the squeamish.

”If you’re talking about corners as your first line of defense in terms of stopping the run, that’s a bad discussion,” Tomlin said. ”There are some bigger people more suited for that action that play in front of them that better have a lot to say about it, as well.”

That’s fine by Ajayi.

”Whatever the defenses throw at us, if we execute – our o-line comes off the ball physical, downhill, I’m running hard and receivers are doing what they do on the perimeter – we’ll be fine,” he said.

—

AP Sports Writer Steven Wine in Miami contributed to this report.

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For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
When: 1:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 24, 2016
Where: New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Bills -4.
O/U: 41
PREDICTION: Bills 20, Dolphins 17

Oddsmakers currently have the BUFFALO listed as -4 point favorites versus the MIAMI, while the game’s total is sitting at 41.

Even without quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the Miami Dolphins remain one of the hottest teams in the NFL.

Miami’s playoff push weathered the cold in last week’s road win over the New York Jets. The Dolphins head back north on the same mission Saturday with a visit to the Buffalo Bills. It likely won’t be a white Christmas Eve at New Era Field, but freezing rain is in the forecast.

The Dolphins (9-5) have won eight of their last nine games and control their fate in the AFC wild-card race. They can clinch their first playoff berth since 2008 with a win at Buffalo and a Denver loss in Kansas City.

Miami has not won in Buffalo since 2011. Matt Moore was the Dolphins’ quarterback for that game, and he’s starting again with Tannehill out indefinitely due to a sprained knee.

Moore stepped in and had a career night against the Jets, completing 12 of 18 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns in his first start since the 2011 season finale. Over the previous four seasons, Moore threw for 219 yards and one touchdown.

“Matt prepares like he’s the starting quarterback,” Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry said. “Every week he has done that. For him to come in and play with the confidence he played with, to a lot of people that was unexpected, but for us it was something we already knew.”

Miami relied on its running game to come back and beat Buffalo, 28-25, at home in Week 8. Jay Ajayi had 214 of the Dolphins’ 256 rushing yards.

“They punched us in the mouth the first game,” Buffalo defensive lineman Leger Douzable said.

Ajayi rushed for 529 yards during the first three contests of the six-game winning streak that turned around the Dolphins’ season. He’s struggled a bit lately, totaling 205 yards over his last four games.

Miami defensive end Mario Williams will make his return to Buffalo for the first time since he was released in the offseason. Williams played four seasons for the Bills after signing what was the richest contract for a defensive player in NFL history in 2012, but clashed with coach Rex Ryan in his final season.

“We need to win one game at a time, no matter who the opponents are,” Williams said. “I’m not the type of person to be hooting and hollering about anything other than us winning the game.”

The Bills (7-7) have not been eliminated from playoff contention but need to win their final two games and get a lot of help in a bid to end their 16-year postseason drought, the longest in the NFL.

“We’re just going to have to do our best to win our games,” Ryan said. “We have two games left and this one in particular, like I say, hottest team in football, so bring it on.”

Ryan could also be coaching for his job the final two weeks – if ownership has not already decided to make a coaching change after the season, as multiple reports have suggested.

“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Ryan said. “My job’s to coach the football team and that’s what I’m going to do and there’s no focus anywhere else. This is it. I truly believe we’re going to play a great game, and we’ll see if it’s good enough.”

The Bills were 4-2 and held an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter of their loss at Miami.

“If you look at the two storylines,” Bills quarterback Tyord Taylor said, “both of them are flipped. They went on a run kind of after they played us, and we lost two more games after that going into the bye.”

Taylor also appears to be on thin ice in Buffalo. The Bills must decide by March whether to pick up the option on a five-year, $90 million contract extension that guarantees Taylor more than $30 million over the first two seasons.

Tannehill, linebacker Jelani Jenkins (knee/hand) and cornerback Byron Maxwell (ankle) did not practice for Miami on Wednesday. Safety Abdul-Quddus (ankle), linebacker Kiko Alonso (hamstring/hand), and cornerback Bobby McCain (knee/hand) were limited. Williams (ankle) and guard Jermon Bushrod (shoulder) were full partcipants.

The Bills had three players miss practice: defensive tackle Kyle Williams (back), linebacker Lerentee McCray (concussion) and offensive tackle Jordan Mills (illness).

Wideout Sammy Watkins (foot), former Dolphins tight end Charles Clay (knee), linebacker Preston Brown (foot), fullback Jerome Felton (foot), left tackle Cordy Glenn (back), linebacker Jerry Hughes (hamstring), guard John Miller (hip) and defensive tackle Jerel Worthy (shoulder) were limited. Taylor (groin), running back LeSean McCoy (knee) and linebacker Shaq Lawson (foot) were limited.

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Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets
When: 8:25 PM ET, Saturday, December 17, 2016
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network.
LINE: Dolphins -3.
O/U: 38
PREDICTION: Jets 20, Dolphins 17

Oddsmakers currently have the Dolphins listed as 3-point favorites versus the Jets, while the game’s total is sitting at 37½.

For a guy who has spent most of the last decade as a backup quarterback, Matt Moore has an uncanny knack for intersecting with the New York Jets at pivotal moments of his career.

Moore will make his first start in almost five years on Saturday night, when he replaces an injured Ryan Tannehill for the Miami Dolphins as they visit the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

The opponent for Moore’s previous start on Jan. 1, 2012? The Jets, against whom Moore went 22-of-32 for 135 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the Dolphins’ 19-17 win.

“It’s rare to see, really, to have that much time in between starts, because something usually happens,” Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said Wednesday. “This organization has been fortunate as far as having the same guy behind center game after game.”

Tannehill, whom the Dolphins selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, started the first 77 games of his career before suffering a left knee injury in Sunday’s 26-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Moore, who went 3-of-5 for 47 yards and directed the game-winning drive last week, has attempted just 35 passes since the start of the 2012 season. The bulk of those came against the Jets on Oct. 28, 2012, when Tannehill suffered knee and quad injuries and Moore went 11-of-19 for 131 yards and one touchdown in the Dolphins’ 30-9 win.

“I think I’ve filled my role the best I could and I’ve had opportunities to play and it’s gone well,” Moore said. “I’m lucky I’m surrounded with a great team. I’ve got great guys on offense to work with.”

In another interesting wrinkle, Jets head coach Todd Bowles knows what it’s like to work with Moore: He concluded his three-game stint as the Dolphins’ interim head coach in the 2011 season finale.

“I have a lot of respect for Matt,” Bowles said Tuesday. “He hasn’t played in a while — obviously, Tannehill’s been playing good for them. Matt’s a competitor. I know he can throw the football and he’ll be ready to play.”

With Tannehill expected to avoid surgery but miss the rest of the season, Moore’s task is as easy as it is imposing: Keep the resurgent Dolphins (8-5) in the playoff race against the Jets (4-9), who are one of only three AFC teams eliminated from playoff contention.

The Dolphins, who haven’t reached the playoffs since winning the AFC East in 2008, enter this week tied with the Denver Broncos for the final wild-card spot, though the Broncos enjoy the tiebreaker via a better strength of victory. However, Miami has gone 7-1 in its last eight games while Denver is just 2-4 in its last six games.

Moore said he is trying to keep the same approach even as his job has changed.

“I’ve talked to coach Gase more, I’ve probably talked to (quarterbacks coach) Bo (Hardegree) a little more,” Moore said. “But nothing crazy has changed. I’m obviously excited. It’s an opportunity to win another game and keep us going in the direction we’re going.”

The Jets’ direction has long been established, but Saturday night represents a chance to get a little revenge on the Dolphins while finding out what they have in new starting quarterback Bryce Petty. Miami beat New York 27-23 on Nov. 6, when Kenyan Drake returned a kickoff 96 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 5:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“Anybody in our room that doesn’t think these guys kicked our butts — and that’s saying it nicely — then something’s wrong with that,” Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer told reporters this week. “Hopefully we play a hell of a lot better than we did when we were down there.”

Petty made his regular season debut Nov. 6, when he played a series in place of injured quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. This will be the third career start for Petty, who was named the permanent starter immediately after a 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 5. He earned his first NFL win on Sunday, when he led the Jets to 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and overtime of a 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

While the Dolphins will be without Tannehill, they enter Saturday in a healthier overall state than the Jets. Tannehill the only Miami player to miss practice Wednesday while linebacker Kiko Alonso (hand, hamstring), linebacker Jelani Jenkins (hand, knee) and defensive end Mario Williams (ankle) were the only ones listed as limited participants.

The Jets, meanwhile, had 12 players listed as did not practice or as a limited participant. Five starters did not participate — running back Matt Forte (knee), right tackle Brent Qvale (hamstring), linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin (ankle), nose tackle Steve McLendon (hamstring) and cornerback Buster Skrine (concussion).

In addition, the Jets’ top two wide receivers — Brandon Marshall (knee, foot, back) and Quincy Enunwa (ribs) — were limited participants, as was defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (ankle).

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Arizona Cardinals vs. Miami Dolphins
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Dolphins -1. O/U: 43.5
PREDICTION: Cardinals 28, Dolphins 16

Oddsmakers currently have the Cardinals listed as 2-point favorites versus the Dolphins, while the game’s total is sitting at 43½.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (5-6-1): Arizona is making its first trek to play a regular-season game in Miami since 2004. How long ago was that? Well, veteran wideout Larry Fitzgerald began his active streak (191) of catching at least one pass in that contest, which he capped with a touchdown reception with 19 seconds remaining to push the Cardinals to a 24-23 victory. Fitzgerald (NFL high-tying 88 catches) is a trusted target of veteran Carson Palmer, who recorded his 48th career 300-yard performance last week and 21st as a member of Arizona to reside one shy of Kurt Warner’s franchise record.

Last time out for Arizona, they were a 31-23 winner as they battled the Redskins at home. The Cardinals covered in the match as a -2.5-point favorite, while 54 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Arizona Stats:
Team record: 5-6-1 SU,4-8 ATS
Arizona is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Arizona is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (7-5): Jay Ajayi announced his presence by eclipsing the 200-yard plateau in back-to-back outings and adding a 111-yard performance coming out of the team’s bye before being held under 80 yards in each of his last four games. The second-year back could continue to struggle to amass yards versus Arizona, which boasts the second-ranked total defense (297.3). Jarvis Landry erupted for 11 catches last week while Miami tried in vain to rally versus Baltimore, but should be shadowed by Patrick Peterson. Linebacker Kiko Alonso (team-leading 97 tackles) missed practice on Thursday due to thumb and hamstring injuries and is unsure if he’ll play on Sunday.

Miami Stats:
Team record: 7-5 SU,6-5-1 ATS
Miami is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami’s last 6 games

EXTRA POINTS
1. Johnson would tie Edgerrin James (2005) with 13 straight 100 scrimmage yard games to begin a season should the former reach triple digits on Sunday.
2. Miami DE Cameron Wake, who leads the team with 8.5 sacks, recorded a franchise-best 4.5 in his last meeting with Arizona.
3. The Cardinals are just 1-4 on the road this season after winning seven of eight away from home last season.

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San Francisco 49ers vs. Miami Dolphins
When: 11/27/2016 1:00 PM
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Dolphins -7.5. O/U: 45.5
PREDICTION: Dolphins 23, 49ers 20

Oddsmakers currently have the Dolphins listed as 7½-point favorites versus the 49ers, while the game’s total is sitting at 45½.

The Miami Dolphins turned their season around with a five-game winning streak and are in the mix for an AFC playoff berth.

The San Francisco 49ers haven’t registered a victory since Sept. 12 and are hoping to avoid a new low in franchise futility.

It’s a tale of two teams heading in different directions as San Francisco attempts to sidestep a franchise-record 10th consecutive defeat when it visits the streaking Dolphins on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

The 49ers (1-9) were victorious in Chip Kelly’s debut as coach but the season quickly unraveled. San Francisco gave up a combined 83 points over its next two games and allowed an average of 34.8 points during the nine-game skid.

The run of defeats matches the 1978 49ers for the club’s worst stretch of single-season setbacks. But quarterback Colin Kaepernick is putting on the brave face and citing that all is not lost.

San Francisco Stats:
Team record: 1-9 SU,2-8 ATS
Current Streak: lost 9 straight games.
San Francisco is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
San Francisco is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco’s last 6 games

“We still have an opportunity to win games,” Kaepernick said. “That’s what we have to stay focused on and take it one week at a time. There is that feeling out there that we’re not going to be in the playoffs, but we still have an opportunity to do some good things and build on for next year.”

Miami (6-4) feared its own dreadful campaign when it opened the season with four defeats in five games under first-year coach Adam Gase.

The Dolphins then tinkered with the offense and began feeding the football to second-year running back Jay Ajayi. They haven’t lost since and stand one game behind the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs for the final AFC wild-card spots.

Ajayi rushed for 685 yards during the winning streak — including topping 200 yards in consecutive games — and suddenly ranks tied for sixth in the NFL with 802 yards.

The emerging star nicknamed the “J-Train” could be in for another big game Sunday as San Francisco ranks last in the NFL in rushing defense at 179.5 yards per game.

Perhaps the bigger element in terms of slowing down Ajayi might be the health of his own offensive line.

Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey (hip), Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert (wrist) and standout rookie guard Laremy Tunsil (shoulder) all missed the second half of last Sunday’s 14-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Tunsil is considered to have a good chance of playing against San Francisco, while Pouncey and Albert are in jeopardy of missing the contest.

Meanwhile, quarterback Ryan Tannehill has adapted to Gase’s run-based approach and has thrown for six touchdowns against one interception during the winning streak.

Miami Stats:
Team record: 6-4 SU,6-4 ATS
Current Streak: won 5 straight games.
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami’s last 6 games

“His offense is really fun to play in, does a lot of things to help a quarterback,” Tannehill said on a conference call. “Just his knowledge — being around all the quarterbacks he has — he’s learned so much and can help you in so many ways.”

Interestingly, Gase was close to a deal to become the 49ers coach following the 2014 season but San Francisco decided to hire Jim Tomsula.

Tomsula went 5-11 in one season before being fired while Gase became the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. He cites the interview experience with the 49ers as a big help toward landing the Miami gig this past winter.

“It made it so much easier for myself when I went through that next round the year afterwards to know what to expect and understand the process of that second interview,” Gase said on a conference call.

Instead, it is Kelly dealing with San Francisco’s situation and another hit occurred this week when free safety Eric Reid underwent season-ending surgery for a torn bicep suffered in Sunday’s 30-17 loss to the New England Patriots.

Reid (81 tackles) will be replaced by second-year pro Jaquiski Tartt on the unit that ranks last in the NFL in both scoring defense (31.3) and total defense (431.3 yards per game).

The 49ers also rank near the bottom of the league in total offense (30th at 309.6) while averaging 20.4 points per game. Kelly committed toward Kaepernick as the starting quarterback for the rest of this season and promises that his squad hasn’t quit.

“They practice well, they want to win, they’re engaged,” Kelly said. “They’re not excited about where we are now in terms of what we’ve done win-loss wise. We’ve got to go back to work. That’s the only thing you can do in this situation.”

Miami defensive end Cameron Wake, who has a team-leading 7 1/2 sacks, had a big outing in 2012 when the Dolphins and 49ers last met. Wake recorded three sacks and a forced fumble but San Francisco prevailed 27-13.

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Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 23, 2016
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Bills -3. O/U: 43.5
PREDICTION: Dolphins 23, Bills 20

Oddsmakers currently have the Bills listed as 2-point favorites versus the Dolphins, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.

Ryan Tannehill enjoyed a rare occurrence last week as the 28-year-old wasn’t sacked and was pressured on just six percent of dropbacks versus the Steelers — a far cry from the 32 percent in his previous five. Tannehill continues to rely on trusted wideout Jarvis Landry (NFL second-best 41 receptions), who leads the league in market share of his team’s passing game with 31.3 percent of Miami’s targets. The 23-year-old Landry reeled in nine catches in both outings versus Buffalo last season. Miami was a 30-15 winner in its last match at home against the Steelers. They covered the +7.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 45 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 2-4 SU,2-4 ATS
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Miami is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami’s last 9 games

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw two touchdown passes in each of his last two contests for Buffalo, which is looking to secure its first five-game winning streak since 2004. The Miami native is 2-0 with four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 145.0 QB rating against the Dolphins, but his receiving corps could take a different look on Sunday. Wideout Robert Woods was in a walking boot and missed practice on Thursday to put his availability in jeopardy, while Marquise Goodwin and Justin Hunter would expect to take the majority of snaps at receiver if he cannot play. The Bills were a 45-16 winner in their most recent outing at home against the 49ers. They covered the -7.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (61) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 4-2 SU,4-2 ATS
Current Streak: won 4 straight games.
Buffalo is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo’s last 5 games

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Miami at Jacksonville
When: 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, September 20, 2015
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS.
LINE: Dolphins -6. O/U: 41.5
PREDICTION: Dolphins 20, Jaguars 14
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Oddsmakers currently have the Dolphins listed as 4½-point favorites versus the Jaguars, while the game’s total is sitting at 41½.

Second-year wideout Allen Robinson was limited to one reception for 27 yards last week, but reeled in a 48-yard touchdown reception in his prior meeting against Miami. Denard Robinson amassed 108 yards rushing versus the Dolphins, but had just five carries last week as Jacksonville has turned to second-round pick T.J. Yeldon (12 carries, 51 yards) as its primary back. The Jaguars will look to exploit a Dolphins defense that was gashed for 161 yards on the ground by Washington.

Jacksonville was a 20-9 loser in its last match at home against the Panthers. They failed to cover the +3-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 29 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 0-1 SU,0-1 ATS
Jacksonville is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Jacksonville is 6-12-2 ATS in its last 20 games
Jacksonville is 3-17 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Jacksonville’s last 5 games

Signed to a $96 million contract extension in the summer, Ryan Tannehill completed 22-of-34 passes for 226 yards and a score versus Washington but was held to just 196 in last season’s meeting with Jacksonville. Speaking of sizable deals, offseason acquisition Ndamukong Suh declared his performance as “poor” after recording two tackles in the season opener. “At the end of the day, you want to outdo whatever you did in the past,” said Suh, who inked a six-year, $114 million deal in March. “That’s how I live my life, just try to and do better each and every day.”

The Dolphins were a 17-10 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Redskins. They covered the -4-point spread as favorites, while the total score (27) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Team record: 1-0 SU,1-0 ATS
Miami is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami’s last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami’s last 7 games on the road
Miami is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Jacksonville

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