Head down, face flushed, fists clenched, Sunday's loser talked to the floor.

"Man," San Francisco tackle Barry Sims said, alone at his locker.

He shook his head.

"One play," he muttered.

A minute passed. Then five. Sims barely moved. "One play," he said again.

This is what Joey Porter does to people. For nearly 59 minutes of Football Sunday, the only noise Porter made was with his mouth. He wasn't even the most effective Joey out there, as three-week Dolphin Joey Haynos caught what became the winning points in this 14-9 victory.

But most Sundays these Dolphins don't give you elegance. They just give wins. The defense kept holding the fort, as well as San Francisco to field goals. And then on fourth down from the Dolphins' 21, as San Francisco spun its last hope, Porter sped around Sims and, just like that, he was the showstopper again.

He broke into the 49ers' backfield. He sacked quarterback Shaun Hill and ended the game. Then, because he's Joey and can't help it, he took off his helmet and flung it downfield, like a champagne cork going off.

"I'm the closer," he had said to coach Tony Sparano earlier in the day when the Dolphins' coach talked of needing his top game.

He was the closer Sunday. He's been it all season, really. Now, at Porter's locker, where rapper Tupac Shakur's Me Against The World album has played in recent weeks, there was a new Tupac selection. The ipod was turned to his album All Eyez on Me. Just where Porter wants them.

"That was his latest statement for NFL defensive player of the year," defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday said of that last play.

"He's got my vote," nose tackle Jason Ferguson said.

An NFL Network reporter stopped Porter on his way out of the locker room, and only then did he stop to talk about his day. It's become easy to be sidetracked by Porter's mouth. There was his talk of Michael Vick and pit bulls that he felt was taken out of context, and his refusing to come off the field against the Patriots. This week came his NFL Network speech defending Plaxico Burress and guns.

As always, you can put that to the side and just watch how Porter plays Football. Give him full credit. He's having as good a season as any defensive player ever around here. On a day where the stadium's Honor Roll hung the names of Bob Baumhower and Doug Betters, that's saying enough.

Porter now has 171/2 sacks to move within one of the franchise record. That number is more impressive considering the Dolphins have 29 sacks in all, meaning opponents can focus all on Joey. The 49ers did that most of Sunday. Often it was with a tag team involving tight end Vernon Davis, who got into a pregame jaw-fest with Porter.

"He was frustrated out there sometimes," Holliday said of Porter.

But Davis was out that last play. That left Porter one-on-one with Sims, the backup 49ers tackle. Sometimes it's just your year.

"I wish I was there," Davis said. "Oh, I wish I was there. I almost cried to be in there. I know that if I was out there, he wouldn't have got that sack."

San Francisco running back Frank Gore wasn't there, either. He was hurt. Throw that in the pile of good fortune that has blown the Dolphins' way. No one put an asterisk of bad luck on 1-15 last year. No one will put one of good luck at 9-5, either.

The Dolphins' offense hasn't scored more than 16 points the past three games, and the defense has made the lead hold up each time. You keep thinking some Sunday the Dolphins' weaknesses will break them. But another Sunday's gone and they keep winning as much as anyone in the AFC East.

"They had some good drives, but we made them settle for three" Porter said. "You take what you can get all night long."

He was asked about the playoffs, the way all the Dolphins are being asked of them a year after being asked if they could win a game.

"We'll party with this one tonight and it will be over with," Porter said. "And tomorrow after we watch film, the whole focus will be on Kansas City."

Tupac had been turned off. But as much as all eyes are on Chad Pennington on offense, they are on Porter for the defense. Sometimes one play changes everything. One did for Porter this Sunday.

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