With a big assist from the San Francisco 49ers' defense, Colin Kaepernick made sure to quiet all of the quarterback controversy talk for another week.
The 49ers took care of the Miami Dolphins 27-13 on Sunday in a game that remained in doubt until Kaepernick broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run with a little more than two minutes remaining. Cue the analysts and fans who want to say Alex Smith couldn't do that.
Kaepernick had just five incompletions in 23 pass attempts, gaining 185 yards through the air. But he held the ball too long on a few of the four sacks he took, and he had a fumble. Still, Kaepernick was plenty good enough on a day when the 49ers' defense was dominant.
Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill averaged just 4 yards per pass play, and 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith moved within three sacks of former NFL great Michael Strahan's NFL single-season record of 22.5. The 49ers, now 9-3-1, only need one more win to clinch the NFC West title.
Just as important, the 49ers bounced back strong from a loss for the third time this season. They're inching ever closer to a playoff bye and a home game in the playoffs' divisional round.
The Kaepernick-Smith debate probably will be warming up again by then.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
