Coming off a good opening season road win, the Miami Dolphins again hit the road this week to face the Indianapolis Colts. How do the Dolphins match up against the Colts? Let's take a look.
Match up |
Advantage |
Remarks |
Dolphins passing offense vs. Indianapolis pass defense |
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Dolphins pass offense: 16 Colts pass defense: 11
The Colts did well against the pass last week, but let's be honest, it was the Raiders' passing game. Miami's passing attack struggled early, but found some rhythm as the game went along. With Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, and Brandon Gibson, the Dolphins should be able to perform well against the Indianapolis secondary.
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Dolphins rushing offense vs. Indianapolis run defense |
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Dolphins rush offense: 32 Colts rush defense: 31
Week 1 weakness versus Week 1 weakness in this match up. The Dolphins simply could not find any running lanes against the Cleveland Browns last week, while the Colts could not stop Terrelle Pryor. Both teams should come back toward the middle of the pact this week, but, at this point, there's no confidence in the Miami rushing attack. That gives Indy the advantage.
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Colts passing offense vs. Miami pass defense |
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Colts pass offense: 29 Dolphins pass defense: 15
A good showing against the Browns last week needs to be backed up with an even better performance against the Colts this week for Miami. Andrew Luck picked the Dolphins apart in 2012, especially on third down, so they have to be able to prevent that again. Really, the decision on who has the advantage comes down to Luck vs. Miami's pass rush. With the way that offensive line played last week, I will give the advantage ever-so-slightly to Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon, Dion Jordan, Paul Soliai, Jared Odrick, and Randy Starks.
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Colts rushing offense vs. Miami run defense |
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Colts rush offense: 6 Dolphins rush defense: 3
The Colts can run the ball, but the loss of Vick Ballard this week will have an impact. The strength of Miami's defense is stopping the run. With Ballard, this might have been close, but without him, it's Miami.
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Dolphins special teams vs. Indianapolis special teams |
PUSH |
The kicking game comes down to Adam Vinatieri versus rookie Caleb Sturgis. Despite Sturgis being voted by the fans as the Rookie of the Week, I still give the nod to the veteran, even with him having an off 2012 campaign.
In punts, I am always going to give the advantage to the Dolphins with Brandon Fields.
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Prediction:
This should be an exceptional game, with the two quarterbacks going toe-to-toe and pass-for-pass. Before the season, I thought the Colts would take a step back this year, and, along with the improved Dolphins, I will give the game to the visitors. Final: Miami 24-20.
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