Miami Dolphins could be next seasons' 49ers

BOSTON-- Geographically speaking, the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers couldn't be further apart.  One resides on the most eastern, most southern part of the country in Miami.  The other is located on the other side of this great nation, in the wonderful city of San Francisco.

The two cities mentioned are a little over 3,000 miles apart.  On two separate coasts, with two different time zones.

Geographically speaking, the Dolphins and 49ers have nothing common.  But football wise?

Well, they may just be a carbon copy of one another.  Lets hope so at least.

January 2nd, 2011, the San Francisco 49ers final game of a disastrous 2010 season in which they finished with a 6-10 record and in search of a new head coach and new direction. 

 Sound familiar?  

Fast forward 12 months to last night, where those same 49ers came within a fumble of the Super Bowl.  That's all it took, one year, one season, 365 days to go from 6-10 to hosting an NFC championship game.

And guess what folks?  These 6-10 Miami Dolphins are just as talented if not more talented than those 6-10 49ers.  Don't think so?  Lets take a look.

Matt Moore (87.1 QB rating) or Alex Smith (90.7 QB rating)?

Brandon Marshall (1,214 yards, 6 TD's) or Michael Crabtree (874 yards, 4 TD's)?

Reggie Bush (1.086 yards, 6 TD's) or Frank Gore (1,211 yards, 8 TD's)?

Eerily similar, huh?

The 49ers had a dying fan base, an empty stadium, and a playoff record that read 0-2 since the turn of the century.  

Aren't we experiencing the exact same thing here in Miami? 

 The fan base?  dwindling by the year.  Sun Life Stadium?  Unless fans are all wearing the same shade of orange as the seats then I'd say it's emptying in multitudes.  And our playoff record since 2000?  2-4, with those two wins coming in 2000 and 2001, over a decade ago.

Again, eerily similar, no?

Last January the 49ers hired experienced yet unproven Jim Harbaugh as the team's next head coach.  This past Friday the Dolphins named Joe Philbin as the franchises 10th head coach.  Also experienced.  Also unproven. 

The Quarterbacks?  Alex Smith and Matt Moore.  Both journeymen, both maligned, both scrutinized.  Harbaugh did wonders with Smith in a very shortened off-season.  Philbin already has a better QB in Moore, and may even have, say, Peyton Manning at his disposal?  But that's another story.

Still need more convincing?  How about this one:  The type of offense both coaches run?

The West Coast offense.

The only difference in these two teams, besides where they call home, is the timing.  The Dolphins are a year behind the 49ers.  Joe Philbin is a year behind Jim Harbaugh. Couldn't the 2012 Miami Dolphins be the 2011 San Francisco 49ers?  

Man, it sure would be nice if they were.

And I, for one, don't think they're that far off.