Dolphins vs. Colts: Matchups

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--South Florida Sun-Sentinel


Dolphins running game vs. Colts run defense

The Colts finished 24th in the league against the run last year and gave up 114 yards (4.4 yard average) to Jacksonville in the opener. They do get DT Ed Johnson back after a one-game suspension for a marijuana arrest. The Dolphins averaged 4.4 yards per carry last week in Atlanta but had just two rushing attempts in the fourth quarter after falling into a 19-0 hole. EDGE: DOLPHINS

Dolphins passing game vs. Colts pass defense

Veteran strong safety Bob Sanders (knee) is out, which could leave more room over the middle for TE Anthony Fasano. Protecting Chad Pennington better than last week (four sacks) will be a huge emphasis for the Dolphins' offensive line, which is facing bookend pass rushers Dwight Freeney (71.5 career sacks) and Robert Mathis (53.5 sacks). Colts ranked sixth in the NFL against the pass last year but started rookie third-rounder Jerraud Powers at corner over Marlin Jackson last week. EDGE: COLTS

Colts running game vs. Dolphins run defense

After finishing second-worst in the league in rushing offense last season, the Colts managed just 71 rushing yards (2.3 yard average) against Jacksonville. Joseph Addai is healthy again after a disappointing 2008 season (3.5 yards per carry), but the Dolphins are confident they can make the Colts one-dimensional. The Dolphins stuffed the Falcons' running game, second-best in the NFL in 2008, holding Atlanta to 68 rushing yards (2.5 per carry). EDGE: DOLPHINS

Colts passing game vs. Dolphins pass defense

Even without WR Marvin Harrison around anymore and young Anthony Gonzalez (knee) out for up to eight weeks, the Colts can beat you through the air. Former UM star Reggie Wayne has a streak of five straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and tight end Dallas Clark has produced 17 touchdowns combined the past two seasons. There's also this quarterback named Peyton Manning, who needs one more win to pass Johnny Unitas for the most in franchise history. Rookie CBs Sean Smith and Vontae Davis should split time again. EDGE: COLTS

Dolphins special teams vs. Colts special teams

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano hinted at a shakeup of the return units after his team averaged just 18.4 yards on five kickoff returns in the opener. It doesn't matter if Ted Ginn, Jr. or Patrick Cobbs return kickoffs if the blocking is substandard. Kick coverage was OK, although the Falcons did break off an 18-yard punt return in the third quarter. The Colts, under new special-teams coordinator Ray Rychleski, had a solid opening week. Chad Simpson broke a 39-yard kickoff return. EDGE: COLTS

Intangibles
The Colts are breaking in a new head coach, seven-year Colts assistant Jim Caldwell, so there figures to be an adjustment period in the wake of Tony Dungy's retirement. Playing on Monday Night Football should give the Dolphins a boost in their home opener, although it's been nearly five full years since their last home night win. Manning is just 4-7 for his career against the Dolphins. Only the Patriots (5-9) have tagged him with more losses. EDGE: DOLPHINS

 

[LDB]

THANKS IE

 

[IE]

no prob LDB..


Miami Dolphins rookies Vontae Davis, Sean Smith expect test against Colts

The Dolphins' Vontae Davis couldn't help but notice it. Ditto for fellow cornerback Sean Smith.

While most onlookers focused on Peyton Manning throwing his first touchdown pass of the season last weekend, or Reggie Wayne catching that ball, Davis and Smith zeroed in on Jacksonville's Derek Cox, the player covering Wayne."It's sad to see a fellow rookie go down like that," Smith said.

Was it a preview of Monday night? Smith and Davis certainly hope not, because in the Dolphins' home opener, they'll be the rookie cornerbacks tested by Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Working mostly against Cox last Sunday, Wayne had 10 receptions for 162 yards.

"I'm definitely going to try to learn from his mistakes and do my best to prevent those kind of numbers from repeating themselves," Smith said.

The Dolphins don't doubt Smith and Davis will get their chances. Asked how much Manning will be looking toward the rookies, coach Tony Sparano laughed.

"A lot," he said.

"We talked about it," Davis said. "He's going to come at the rookies. I'm going in with the mind-set that I could make a name for myself by defending his passes."

That would be sweet, considering that Davis grew up admiring Manning. Davis succeeding is possible; Cox finished with two takeaways, including an interception in the end zone.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said he didn't think his defense needed to take steps to assure Cox wasn't on an island against Wayne. Double-covering Wayne is easier now that Marvin Harrison no longer is the Colts' other receiver.

The Dolphins could rotate veteran cornerback Will Allen on Wayne, bring safety help or rely on the rookies as they alternate lining up opposite Allen.

Manning, in his 12th season, is beginning what he considers a new chapter in his career without Harrison, who was waived, and coach Tony Dungy, now an NBC analyst. Plus, receiver Anthony Gonzalez will miss up to two months with a knee injury.

Manning, 33, may be better equipped to handle this than most. In a recent Sporting News poll of 106 experts, including coaches and Hall of Famers, Manning was chosen the best active player in the NFL.

"It seems like every year he gets a year older and he gets even better than he was the previous year," Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor said. "'...'While things have changed around him, coach-wise and player-wise, he still hasn't changed who he is."

The Colts committed turnovers on their first two possessions against the Jaguars and won by just 14-12, but they enter Monday's game rated No. 6 in passing. And Manning still tries to befuddle defenses with comical pre-snap gyrations.

"It's like reading hieroglyphics," Dolphins cornerback Nate Jones said.

Sparano doesn't want Smith and Davis trying to decipher it.

"One of the biggest challenges for the rookie cornerbacks would be not to get caught up in all that Peyton does at the line of scrimmage and not to have your eyes in the backfield," Sparano said.

"If you get caught with your eyes in the backfield in this game, the ball is going to be over your head."

Indianapolis ranks 25th in rushing, yet defenses can't ignore it.

"It starts with the run game," Manning said of Joseph Addai setting up Manning's play-action passes.

Jones said there's no secret to slowing Manning.

"You've got to play defense," Jones said. "Defense is pass-rushing. It's stopping the run. And then you've got to cover. It's fundamentals."

Given Manning's reputation as a coach on the field, it's no surprise he has studied Miami's rookie corners just as they have studied him.

"You study them in the pre-season and you study their game versus Atlanta, but there is some unknown there because they are new players," Manning said.

"Obviously they have an excellent veteran in Allen on the other side. I am sure those guys have learned a lot from him. ... You see a lot of ability in both guys."

While Manning is sure to look the rookies' way, it doesn't mean he'll be flinging it their way all night.

"Watching Peyton over the years, I don't think he is going to force the ball any place," Sparano said.

Smith said he's ready.

"Everybody's going to be watching that game on Monday night," he said.

"That's a chance for myself personally to make a statement that I'm definitely a legit cornerback who can go out there and compete and play with the best of them."

 

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Could Wildcat steal the show Monday night?

1. Give the Wildcat a workout.

The Dolphins had no success running the Wildcat last weekend, gaining just 3 yards on three tries, but had to abandon it early in the second half due to the circumstances.

Look around the NFL in the first two weeks of the season and other teams are getting more from their versions of the formation than the one that started it. Miami needs to put the ball in the hands of Ronnie Brown ? not Pat White, at least for now ? and let him work his magic, be it handing off to Ricky Williams on end-arounds or finding gaps up front.

Indianapolis? defense has long relied on quickness and its ability to read and react. By hitting it straight up and quickly, the Dolphins might be able to punch out some big plays.

2. Roll the secondary coverage toward Reggie Wayne.

Nobody had more catches than Wayne?s 10 in opening week. Surprise? Not hardly. With Marvin Harrison retired and Anthony Gonzalez injured, Wayne is the only Colts wideout with any experience and will be the guy Peyton Manning will be looking for once again.

Of course, with tight end Dallas Clark also in the mix, the Dolphins won?t be able to roll coverage away from Clark and toward Wayne. Strong safety Yeremiah Bell will have his hands full with Clark, and free safety Gibril Wilson will be doing his best to outguess Manning ? no easy task under the best of circumstances.

That means that when the Colts get Wayne against one of Miami?s rookie cornerback tandem of Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, they?ll be thinking mismatch. It?ll be a challenge for the Dolphins defensive coaches to make sure that?s not the case.

3. Shut down the run ? again.

The Dolphins did a great job against the run last week, holding one of the league?s top rushing attacks to a modest 52 yards. The Colts and RB Joseph Addai didn?t do much better against an only so-so Jacksonville run defense last week; he totaled 42 yards on 17 carries, a 2.5-yard average.

The argument can be made that any offense becomes less effective once it becomes one-dimensional, though the counterargument is that Manning is perfectly comfortable with the idea that the Indy offense goes through his arm.

The Colts finished last in the league in rushing yards per game (79.6) and next-to-last in yards per carry (3.4) last season, yet still went 12-4. Even so, stopping the run gives Miami a leg up on stopping the Colts.

 

[IE]

--Indy Star


WHO HAS THE EDGE?


Colts' run offense vs. Dolphins' run defense

Miami's revamped 3-4 scheme with 13-year veteran NT Jason Ferguson in the middle did a number on Atlanta as the Falcons managed just 68 yards on the ground. And Atlanta usually rushes the ball well. The Colts averaged about the same yards, 2.3 per carry, against the Jaguars as the Falcons did against the Dolphins. Translation? The yards will be tough to come by for a Colts team that still has issues running the football, especially when it needs the tough yards. The Colts were unable to convert third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 rushes in the opener. Rookie RB Donald Brown averaged 3.0 yards on his 11 carries. Joseph Addai got the most work with 42 yards on 17 carries, a 2.5-yard average. DOLPHINS.


Colts' pass offense vs. Dolphins' pass defense

QB Peyton Manning forced a couple deep throws and was intercepted on an underthrown fade pass into the end zone, but beyond that, the Colts' star was exceptional in the opener. The early loss of No. 2 WR Anthony Gonzalez to a knee injury meant more for Reggie Wayne, who caught 10 passes for 162 yards. Eight Colts caught passes, and that didn't include Gonzalez. Plus, the Colts allowed only one sack. Expect the Dolphins to test the line with blitzes. Miami's Jason Taylor and Jason Ferguson had sacks in the opener. The Dolphins start rookie Sean Smith at RCB. Young corners don't usually do well against the Colts. Ask Jaguars rookie Derek Cox, who had a pick early but then got roasted by Wayne the rest of the game. COLTS.


Dolphins' run offense vs. Colts' run defense

The Colts didn't wilt against the Jaguars, a familiar AFC South nemesis. Jacksonville managed 96 yards on 22 carries, or 4.4 per carry, which isn't stout but compares much more favorably to the gaudy numbers of onslaughts past. That the Colts, without suspended DT Ed Johnson, held Maurice Jones-Drew under 100 yards was particularly impressive. But now comes the unpredictable. While Ron Brown and Ricky Williams are capable of big gainers - they combined for 82 yards on 17 carries - the Dolphins are known as much for their creativity with the wildcat formation. The Colts will have to be wary of direct snaps to players other than the QB, among other tricks. The Dolphins averaged 4.4 yards per carry in their opener. DOLPHINS.


Dolphins' pass offense vs. Colts' pass defense

QB Chad Pennington completed 72.4 percent of his passes and was intercepted only once, but Miami's problem is pass protection. He got sacked four times, one that led to a lost fumble. The Dolphins have an unlikely new leading receiver in second-year pro Davone Bess, who wasn't drafted out of Hawaii a year ago. He had seven catches for 57 yards against Atlanta. The supposed No. 1 target, Ted Ginn, had a quiet opener with just two catches for 26 yards. The Colts' secondary was exceptional in the opener as CBs Kelvin Hayden and rookie Jerraud Powers made timely moves on pass break-ups. Dwight Freeney had a sack and the Colts applied continual pressure as the Jaguars managed just 114 pass yards. COLTS.



Special teams

Except for K Adam Vinatieri hooking a 52-yard field goal attempt wide left, the Colts opened well on special teams. Rookie P Pat McAfee averaged 44 yards on two punts that were downed inside the 20, including a key kick late that pinned Jacksonville to the 1. Kickoff returns were a wash, the Colts and Jaguars averaging about 27 yards. T.J. Rushing didn't get much of a chance to do anything on two punts as he fair caught one and gained 5 yards on the other. Miami's Ted Ginn is an exceptional returner, so the Colts will be tested. He averaged 18.3 yards on three kickoffs at Atlanta, but he's much more effective than that. The Dolphins didn't attempt a field goal and averaged 45 yards on their five punts. EVEN.


Coaches

New Colts coach Jim Caldwell passed his first test, which wasn't easy because he had to make at least three tough judgment calls in the heat of the battle. But they all panned out for him, especially the last one, to punt on fourth-and-short and pin the Jaguars deep. It set the tone for the Colts' defense to protect a two-point lead and secure the victory. Second-year Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is credited with developing QB Tony Romo in Dallas before taking over in Miami and being a surprise AFC playoff qualifier at 11-5 last year. Dolphins boss Bill Parcells turned this team around in a short time, starting with the hiring of Sparano. Now it's just a matter of assembling more talent, which of course takes time. EVEN.


INJURY REPORT
Colts

Did not participate in Friday practice - WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee), S Bob Sanders (knee), TE Tom Santi (ankle), OG Jamey Richard (shoulder), CB Tim Jennings (rested). Full participation - LT Charlie Johnson (back) and S Jamie Silva (abdomen).
Dolphins

Full participation in Friday practice - LB Akin Ayodele (back).

 

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Dolphins' TRENDS
OFFENSE

The Dolphins were 8-2 when scoring first and leading after the opening quarter last year, so a fast start is important, especially for a team that was shut out for three quarters in the opener. They pass a little more than they run, but statistics show balance is important. The Dolphins passed 491 times compared to 448 rushes in 2008. Last week against Atlanta, they passed 29 times and ran on 22 plays. What shows up on the highlight reels are the unexpected direct snaps to running backs or receivers in the wildcat formation. The Dolphins had five different ball carriers last week, including WR Ted Ginn and college QB Pat White.
DEFENSE

The switch from a 4-3 to 3-4 is off to a decent start. Atlanta managed 281 total yards in the opener, including just 68 on the ground. Falcons RB Michael Turner, who ran for 1,699 yards in 2008, was held in check to 65 on 22 carries. So the Dolphins are showing some signs that they can stuff the run and keep the yards to a minimum. Both TDs allowed were on passes. The Colts should remember OLB Joey Porter, whose 17 1/2 sacks were second in the NFL last year. Porter was a sack catalyst in Pittsburgh's 21-18 AFC divisional playoff upset of the Colts at Indy in the 2005 postseason. Porter did not have a sack in Week 1, and was relatively quiet with just three total tackles.

 

[IE]

Seven points: Miami Dolphins vs. Indianapolis Colts


Losing the season-opener is bad enough because it injected fear into the Miami Dolphins fan base.

Losing tonight's home-opener will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the South Florida football community, which is presently riding a high thanks to the Hurricanes.

The Dolphins can't afford to spoil the fun.

Despite all the frills and dressings Steve Ross is adding to stadium atmosphere, nothing sooths the franchise like winning, and that's what the Dolphins need to do against the Colts.

Here are my seven keys to the game.

1. Put pressure on Peyton Manning with a five man rush. Even though Jason Taylor produced a sack against the Falcon, neither he nor Joey Porter have warmed up yet. The NFL's active leading sack duo must produce more knock downs and take downs than the handful they managed against the Falcons. Those two applying pressure will be critical because this defense can't afford to blitz additional linebackers and safeties regularly.

2. Protect the defense's underbelly. That's the middle of the field, where Manning likes to attack guessing inside linebackers, and half-stepping safeties with slot receivers and tight ends. Crowd that area and he'll have to throw to his outside receivers, which plays to this defense's strength. Yes that's where Reggie Wayne will be. But he'll likely be facing double-coverage. If this defense lets Austin Collie drop into the open zones all night Manning will dink and dunk his way into scoring territory.

3. Attack Indianapolis' safeties on offense. Even though Colts safety Bob Sanders is out a lot, Melvin Bullitt is still a bit green despite his productive 2008 season, which featured four interceptions. Bullitt contributed all of two tackles against Jacksonville in week one. Free safety Antoine Beathea is a bit small (5-foot-11, 203 pounds). Make numerous shifts at the line of scrimmage and see how both handle making the necessary adjustments. Have the tight ends attack the seams and see if they can cover Anthony Fasano and Joey Haynos one-on-one. Throw to the tailbacks out of the backfield and see if Indy's safeties are sure tacklers.

4. Get the running game going. The best way to defend against a high-octane offense is to keep them off the field. An effective running game will do the trick. While the Dolphins averaged 4.4 yards per carry in the season-opener, most of those yards came in the second half. The Dolphins have to do better than the 3.8 yards per carry they averaged in the first half against the Falcons. The Jaguars don't have a forceful offensive line but were able to crank out 114 yards and 4.4 yards per carry. Can the Dolphins do better?

5. Chad Pennington has to produce more than dink and dunk passes. In the season-opener, Pennington averaged 6.06 yards per attempt. Davone Bess became his favorite target because he was settling down right in front of the first down marker. In fairness, the offensive line needs to provide Pennington more time to read the field after he sets his feet.

6. Neutralize Dwight Freeney. Jake Longfaces his second tough one-on-one challenge of the 2009 season and needs to do better than he did against John Abraham. Freeney has the type of speed that gives Long fits, but doesn't possess the power to overwhelm him. Still, Long will need some help from left guard Justin Smiley in protecting the left side of the line. These two must get better at their two-man games. The offensive line must do a better job of making Pennington feel secure.

7. Make the Wildcat work. When I say Wildcat I'm not talking about the trickeration they have planned with Pat White. Whatever happened to the base Wildcat plays this offense once used to move the chains on third-and-short, and get closer in the redzone? Dust off the old end around to Ricky Williams, and the Ronnie Brown runs behind an unbalanced line. Then see if White can warm up a little on a passing play or two.

 

[IE]

Miami Dolphins: Oh, that blasted infield dirt!
> Posted by Sun-Sentinal Reporter

So, in watching last night's rousing win for the Miami Hurricanes over Georgia Tech, my ears perked up when the conversation turned to the infield dirt at Land Shark Stadium and how painful it can be to play on it.

Sideline reporter Erin (Friend of Oprah) Andrews told her national audience that "there have been guys that have bandages, bloody uniforms. These trainers on both sides have been kept busy because this dirt is so hard."

EA said she'd talked with Alan Sigwardt's grounds crew and was told the dirt had been "heated up because of the sun, so guys are bleeding all over the place."

Nice.

Craig (Pony) James chimed in with his take that the dirt at LSS "is like gravel, it?s a hard, hard gravely rubber" surface.

And finally, Jesse Palmer, whose high-pitched Little Boy voice is really annoying and sort of makes you wonder when he's finally going to reach puberty, said from his experience playing on such dirt makes it "very difficult to get your footing."

Then again, he's Canadian, so what does he know?

Earlier Thursday, during his session with South Florida reporters, Jason Taylor was asked about his first regular-season home game since returning to the Dolphins. Of course, it didn't take long for talk to turn to that blasted infield dirt.

"Well, you know, it?s a challenge," Taylor said. "It?s not the funnest thing in the world. We put a man on the moon, we need to figure out a way to get the dirt off the football field. It?s not my stadium, and we?ll go out and play in the dirt and they?ll have to play in it too.?

Yes, they will. And for a dome team like the Colts to have to deal with infield dirt and bloody bandages and such, it can't be a very pleasant thought at all.

Barring a late playoff run by the Marlins, however, this will be the last dirt game for the Dolphins this year.

Here's hoping the Dolphins can make it through this last dirt game of the 2009 season without getting anybody injured on the stuff.