Editor: Joe Bryant. Game Recap Contributors: Mike Anderson, Michael Brown, Chris Burtt, J.D. Caldwell, David Dodds, Jim Enochs, Joel Faulhaber, Michael Flynn, Kevin Goldblum, Clayton Gray, Bob Harris, Fred Hebert, Jesse Hilsenrad, Drew Kendall, Jeff Lewis, Joey Matusek, Justin Oliver, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Cody Smith, Scott Smith, Jeffrey Stout. Miami 21 at Indianapolis 13 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Miami Dolphins: Any fears about Ricky Williams losing out to Robert Edwards in scoring opportunities like he did last week were unfounded. Williams was the only back used for anything significant in the Red Zone and the game for that matter. In fact, Edwards didn't have a carry all game, and only a single reception. Minor had 3 carries for 1 single total yard, with no receptions. And although Full Back Rob Konrad did score, it came on the only single time he touched the ball. Jay Fiedler ran the ball in the Red Zone a number of times. On 3rd and 7, Fiedler picked up 11 on a QB sneak. On 2nd and Goal from the 1, Fiedler ran a naked bootleg for a stand up TD. On 2nd and 7 from the Colt's 16, Fielder ran his naked bootleg again for a 5 yard gain. On another 3rd and short at the Colt's 13, Fiedler ran a QB sneak for the 1st. This could become a very regular trend that would boost Fiedler's numbers, and hurt William's. The Dolphins moved the ball with ease all game. They were methodical. Miami has the Norv Turner Offense down and is firing on all cylinders. In a pregame interview, Fiedler told the reporter that Turner has simplified the play book a lot this season and is only using the basic sets and plays to make sure that everyone completely understands what they should be doing. Also, the Cover two Defense used by the Colts allowed the receivers to make receptions all day without much difficulty. There were no real gains after the catch though, as the Colts swarmed to the point of the ball. Tough Rushing Defense. At 1st and Goal from the 2 yard line, the Dolphins lead by Zack Thomas stopped 4 straight James carries right up the middle for a loss of ball on downs by the Colts Cornerback Patrick Surtain left the game with 40 seconds left in the first half and did not return. Major break for the Colts as Surtain and CB Sam Madison were shutting down the Indianapolis passing game. Jamar Fletcher replaced Surtain and was beaten regularly. Indianapolis Colts: James looked more like his old self this week as evidenced in a short gain where he started out in smothering traffic, and made a series of 3 separate full cuts for a 5 yard gain. He was still a little shaky on a few plays, losing his balance and falling down twice in the open field untouched, but he is most certainly back. Uncharacteristically, failed to score on 4 consecutive rushing attempts inside the Miami 2 yard line. Marcus Pollard is sorely missed. The Colts didn't run any of their trademark Double TE sets in the Redzone, or anywhere on the field, instead opting for empty backfield sets with a RB used in the Slot. Replacement TEs Jermaine Wiggins and Joe Dean Davenport were not effective. The Colts were very conservative on Offense, calling safe plays, more so in the passing game with a number of short high percentage passes to James. At the Half, outside of a single catch by 4th string WR Troy Walters for no gain, the only Colts with any receptions were Harrison and James. WR Qadry Ismail, although shut down for almost all of the game, was looked at often. He was totally dominated all day by Cornerback Sam Madison. Manning did not seem to lose confidence in him though. Ismail struggles getting off the line against the physical corners. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Miami Dolphins QB: Jay Fiedler - 13 of 18 for 187, with 2 TDs, an Interception, and was Sacked once. Fiedler also had 7 rushes for 30 yards and a rushing TD. Fiedler ran in a number of key situations. On 3rd and 7, Fiedler picked up 11 on a QB sneak. On 2nd and Goal from the 1, Fiedler ran a naked bootleg for a stand up TD. 2nd and 7 from the 16, Fielder ran his naked bootleg again for a 5 yard gain. Fiedler's INT was an overthrown ball over the middle that was intended for Gadsden that David Macklin picked off. On another 3rd and short at the Cot's 13, Fiedler ran a QB sneak for the 1st. 3rd and 17 Fiedler runs a QB draw. Chad Bratzke knocked the ball out of Fiedler's hands in the final 3 minutes, but Fiedler recovered. Bradzke was awarded the sack for the cover up. RB: Ricky Williams - 24 carries for 132 yards rushing, with 2 catches for 62 yards, and a Receiving TD. Outside of a disturbing trend of Fiedler garnering some Red Zone carries, Williams got every other Red Zone rush. Big rushing gains all day on 1st and 10 making it easy for the Dolphins to sustain drives. Showed himself as a very strong blocker on a knock down block of a Defensive Lineman during a Gadsden 11 yard reception. His TD came on 3rd and 1 from the 10 with Miami in a double TE set. It was a play action with the fake handoff going to Williams, then Williams ran out past the line of Scrimmage, and became the Receiver on the same play for the TD. Williams took a short Screen pass for a gain of 52 yards. The very last Colt's defender barely got a hand on Williams foot as he fell down to stop him. Without that very lucky stop, Williams and Fielder would have recorded a 71 yard TD pass. Robert Edwards - Did not carry the ball a single time this game, and had a single reception for 5 yards. Had a Key 3rd and 1 reception from a falling down Fiedler as he was basically in the grasp of a tackle negated due to a flag. On another 3rd and short out of an empty backfield with Edwards split wide, he dropped the ball in the flat. His 5 yard reception was on a play from 3rd and 17. He came up very short. Travis Minor - 3 rushes for a single yard total, with no receptions. Not a factor in the game. Rob Konrad - Starting Full Back. Single Reception of 9 yards for a TD. Did not touch the ball at any other point in the game. The TD can on an "Arrow" route where Konrad was lined up in the slot. He was able to go in untouched right over the middle with the Middle Linebacker completely out of position to stop him. Great play calling by Norv Turner who must have seen something in the game film. WR: Chris Chambers - 4 receptions for 57 yards. Dropped a perfectly thrown pass that would have been another 20 yards. Oronde Gadsden - 2 Receptions for 14 yards. Both receptions were gains over the middle of the field in traffic. Fiedler's INT was an overthrown ball over the middle that was intended for Gadsden that David Macklin picked off. On that play, Gadsden was called for a 15 yard unsportsman like conduct penalty. Dedric Ward - Third receiver on the Team, had a single reception for 6 yards. That reception was on a 3rd and 7, where Ward just came up short of the 1st down by a single yard to kill the drive. Was put in for a Punt return, although he normally doesn't field them. TE: Randy McMichael - 2 receptions for 34 yards. Big 24 yard gain on a 1st and 10 play action pass to inside the Colts 10 yard line. Key 10 yard reception on a 3rd and 7 to keep drive alive. Had a 5 yard reception called back on a penalty. Dolphin's Pass Defense: Very little pressure on Manning all day, not recording a single Sack. Manning was rarely if ever rushed to make his throws. Derrick Rodgers had a very opportune INT that popped up after bouncing in and out of Jermaine Wiggin's hands. Manning's second INT was on a pass that Harrison should have handled that popped up to defender Jamar Fletcher. That was Fletcher's bright spot on the day, as he was burned all day long by the Colt's receivers. He was clearly outmatched. When James lined up as a WR, he was exclusively single covered with Jason Taylor. Taylor gave up a number of receptions in this set up. With 40 seconds left in the first half, Manning tried to hit a Home Run going deep to Wayne in the endzone in double coverage, but the ball was picked off by Patrick Surtain. Surtain had to be helped off the Field after that play, and did not return. After Surtain left the game, Jamar Fletcher took over for him, and was beaten regularly. Fletcher was guarding Harrison, who just seemed to come alive. With only a few minutes left in the game and Harrison getting really hot, Madison switched over to Harrison, and Fletcher to Ismail. Immediately, Ismail started making his first receptions of the game and came alive. The Dolphins are going to be beat early and often at the corner with Fletcher if Surtain is out for any period. Dolphin's Rush Defense: James was able to advance the ball nicely against this unit most of the day. But the Run Defense came up huge when it's back was against the wall. At 1st and Goal from the 2 yard line, the Defense lead by Zack Thomas stopped 4 straight James carries right up the middle for a loss of ball on downs by the Colts. Made some key adjustments at the half, and held the Colts to -3 total yards in the third quarter. The Colts went to the Pass in the 4th, as Miami basically stopped the rushing option. Dolphin's Special Teams: K: Olindo Mare - 3 XPs. Also the Kick Off man. 3 KOs on the day, 2 for Touch Backs, with the third falling very short, and then was returned for another 33 yards to give the Colts excellent field position. Mare was able to redeem himself slightly on the play by making the tackle. P Returner: Troy Walter returned his only Punt return for 34 yards giving the Colts great field position. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/** Indianapolis Colts QB: Payton Manning - Started the game with 12 TDs and 14 Interceptions lifetime against the Dolphins. That TD/INT ratio actually worsened with the stats of this game. 26 of 45 for 289 yards and a TD, and added another 5 yards rushing. Was not sacked, but did record 3 Interceptions. Attempted to force the ball to a totally covered and shut down Ismail at the start of the game. Clearly Ismail has become a favorite target. Not known as a running QB, Manning took off to the outside on a 3rd and 5 in a 4 receiver/empty back field set for the first down. On the play, Manning flat out beat the very fast Jason Taylor, in a foot race. 2 of the 3 Manning INTs were absolutely not his fault, and the 3rd was a "Hail-Mary" type deep into the endzone at the end of the first half. Manning's 1st interception was actually a pass that bounced in and then out of TE Jermaine Wiggins' hands that was popped up to defender Derrick Rodgers. Manning's second INT was on a pass that Harrison should have handled that popped up to defender Jamar Fletcher. Fumbled the Ball in the closing minutes of the 1st half while the Colts were in scoring position, but the play was negated by a 12 man on the field call against the Dolphins. With 40 seconds left in the first half, Manning tried to hit a Home Run going deep to Wayne in the endzone in double coverage, but the ball was picked off by Patrick Surtain. Manning threw what would have been a TD to Wiggins in the Endzone over his head. RB: Edgerrin James - 30 carries for 138 yards and 8 receptions for 82 yards. Used often in the passing game, even at times as a WR when the Colts went with an empty backfield. Big 11 yard reception acting as a WR in that set. When James lined up as a WR, he was exclusively single covered by Jason Taylor. Taylor gave up a number of receptions with this set up. Edge looked more like his old self this week as evidenced in a short gain where he started out in smothering traffic, and made a series of 3 separate full cuts for a 5 yard gain. At 4th and 1, with the Colts in easy FG range, James got the call and was just able to extend his arms for the 1st after being stood up at the line of scrimmage. The Officials gave James a very favorable spot. Not that it mattered as it lead to a FG anyway. At 1st and Goal from the 2 yard line, the Defense lead by Zack Thomas stopped 4 straight James carries right up the middle for a loss of ball on downs by the Colts. James had an 11 yard rush was negated by a Flag. Miami came out after the half, and practically shut the Colt's rushing game down in the Second half. Although James struggled in the second half to run the ball, he was productive being heavily used in the passing game. Key 3rd down pass from Manning in the Red Zone was dropped, lead to a missed Field Goal. Detron Smith - The full back never touched the ball, but was a crushing lead blocker for James all day. WR: Marvin Harrison - 11 Receptions for 144 yards and a TD. Started slow with his first reception going for 6 yards at the 3 minute mark of the 1st quarter. That catch marked his 94th game with a reception, a Colt's team record. With Ismail totally shut down on the other side by Madison, Harrison did well but not great against Patrick Surtain. But once Surtain was out of the game, Harrison ate replacement CB Jamar Fletcher alive gaining almost all of his receptions and yards after that point. Had a 40+ yard reception where he went out of bounds at the 2 yard line . He just couldn't keep his body inbounds as the momentum carried him out. Would have been an easy TD. Had what would have been an 8 yard gain slip out of his hands. Qadry Ismail - 3 Receptions for 21 yards. Totally and completely shut down all day by Cornerback Sam Madison. Madison, who had been listed as questionable for the game, played Ismail physically with the bump and run, getting called twice for penalties. In the beginning of the game, Manning tried on a few attempts to force him the ball in tight single and double coverage for incompletions. Fell down in the open on a 1st and 10 from the 11. Could have been a TD for Ismail. Very next play, Manning clearly had him as the first read at 7 yards out from the goal, but the play went to James as the safety valve due to the coverage on Ismail. With only a few minutes left in the game and Harrison getting really hot, Madison switched over to Harrison, and Fletcher to Ismail. Immediately, Ismail was thrown to on the next two consecutive plays, with his first reception of the day coming on a key 3rd and 4. On a play where Ismail had beaten Fletcher, Manning overthrew him, would have been an easy 10 yards and probably many more. With 2 seconds left in the game, and the Colts still had the ability to force overtime, the pass to Ismail was deflected on 2nd a 4 from the Dolphin's 6 yard line. Reggie Wayne - 2 Receptions for 17 Yards. With 40 seconds left in the first half, Manning tried to hit a Home Run going deep to Wayne in the endzone in double coverage, but the ball was picked off by Patrick Surtain. Dropped a 35 yard pass where he seemed to have control, but just couldn't hang on as he hit the ground. Wayne was simply not looked to in this game. Troy Walters - 4th WR and Punt/KO returner. 2 Receptions for 25 yards. Outside of James and Harrison, Walters was the only other Colts player to catch a reception in the first half. It was however a gain of zero yards. TE: Marcus Pollard - Out with injury and Did not play. He was sorely missed. Jermaine Wiggins - Caused Manning's 1st interception in a pass that bounced in and then out of Wiggins' hands that was popped up to defender Derrick Rodgers. After that INT, Wiggins was not used at all in the game plan until the 4th Quarter. Manning threw what would have been a TD to Wiggins in the Endzone over his head. Another catchable incomplete ball to Wiggins would have been a much needed 1st down. Joe Dean Davenport - His only two looks came back to back late in the fourth, and both were incompletions. The Colts did get a 1st down on a 3rd down pass to Davenport with a Pass interference call. The Colts will continue to struggle as long as Pollard is out. Colts Pass Defense - The Cover two Defense used by the Colts allowed the receivers to make catches all day without much difficulty. There were no real gains after the catch though, as the Colts swarmed to the point of the ball. Fiedler's INT was an overthrown ball over the middle that was intended for Gadsden that David Macklin picked off. Chad Bratzke knocked the ball out of Fiedler's hands in the final 3 minutes, but Fiedler recovered. Bradzke was awarded the sack for the cover up. Colts Rush Defense - Not a strong day as Williams and the Dolphin's Offense forced the ball successfully down the Colts' throats all day. Colts Special Teams - KO Returner Troy Walters brought back the only returnable Mare Kick, Which was very short to start, back 33 yards and was eventually brought down by Mare himself. Punter Mark Royals had very long high booming punts all day. PK: Mike Vanderjagt - 2 short FGs and an XP. Missed a 28 yard FG. Also the Colts Kick Off man. Had a very short kick roll out of bounds for a 5 yard penalty on a fake On side Kick.