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Strength vs. strength Colts ride three-game win string into eye of Dolphins defense
Updated: Friday December 29, 2000 1:47 AM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Everything is going the Indianapolis Colts' way heading into their first-round AFC playoff game at Miami on Saturday. They've won three consecutive games and carry the swagger of the Super Bowl favorites they were predicted to be before the season. They're not playing at home, but that's no big deal, especially because the Colts (10-6) have won their last two games in Miami. What can stop them? "Their defense," said Colts quarterback Peyton Manning of the Dolphins. "When you play the Dolphins, you know what you're getting into. They've got a great defense. The times we've played well against them, we just made plays and executed." Miami's stingy defense is considered one of its best ever. The Dolphins (11-5) are third in the NFL in fewest points allowed, are sixth in total defense and fifth in passing defense. They led the NFL with 28 interceptions. The only slip-up came when they blew a 23-point lead by allowing a team-record 30 points in the fourth quarter of a 40-37 overtime loss to the New York Jets.
Colts head coach Jim Mora said Miami's defense has had a sensational year. He's facing it for the third time in six weeks. "It is very difficult to line up and pound it at them. You have to try to come up with a little scheme variation that might help a little bit. They are hard just to line up and block. They are a hard team to run on," he said. Defensive ends Trace Armstrong and Jason Taylor, cornerback Sam Madison and safety Brock Marion were chosen for the Pro Bowl. "Their defense is probably the strong point of their team," Colts tight end Marcus Pollard said. "If their defense can shut people out, their offense is going to put up enough points to get them a win." To combat their effectiveness, Manning relied on the short-passing game in the last meeting, completing 21 of 28 passes for 206 yards in a 20-13 Colts victory Dec. 17. Edgerrin James rushed for more than 100 yards in both regular-season games, including a 17-14 Miami victory in Indianapolis on Nov. 26. "How we play him is to try and not give him a big run," Miami head coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He's one of the best backs in the NFL, maybe the best back in the NFL. He's going to get yards. The challenge our defense has is to keep him from getting any long-gainers on us." Wannstedt said there's more to the Colts than their offensive triple threats: James, Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison.
"I talked to our defense about their tight ends, and their other receivers. When you talk about [Terrence] Wilkins and [Jerome] Pathon and the other receivers they've got, you're talking about an awful lot of weapons. "They force you to defend the whole field. You really can't go into the game and double-team this guy or take this guy away. That puts an awful lot of pressure on the defense," he said. In two games the Dolphins could score only a combined 30 points against a Colts defense that ranks 21st in the NFL, but stepped up during the stretch drive. The Colts allowed only 43 points in the final three games, compared with 70 in the three-game losing streak that preceded it. In Week 15, the defense recorded a season-high nine sacks against Buffalo. In the regular-season finale, the Colts became the first team in 31 games to hold Minnesota to fewer than 300 yards of total offense. "We knew they were a potent offense and we had to play well," said right linebacker Mike Peterson, who led the Colts this year with 159 tackles, including 102 solo. "Once we do our assignments, we're an effective defense against anybody."
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