It will be a battle of second-year quarterbacks in Indianapolis on Sunday when Andrew Luck and the Colts take on Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins.
Dolphins vs. Colts 2013 game preview: Dolphins travel to face Indianapolis
Andrew Luck and the Colts will stay home for the second straight week, this time hosting the Miami Dolphins.
Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
Tannehill was overshadowed during his rookie season by Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson, but he quietly had a solid season and got 2013 off to a good start in Week 1. Tannehill threw for 272 yards in Miami's season-opening win against Cleveland.
The Colts were also able to notch a win in Week 1, although it didn’t come as easily as some thought it might. Indianapolis was a 10-1/2-point favorite heading into the game, but needed a late touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to take the lead back.
Meet the Colts
Luck leading a fourth quarter comeback was nothing new for Indianapolis. Sunday’s comeback against Oakland was the eighth time Luck has led a fourth quarter comeback in 17 regular season games. He didn’t throw for a ton of yards, as the Colts gained just 178 in the air, but was extremely efficient. Luck completed 18-of-23 passes, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt.
Defensively, the Colts didn't give up much to the Raiders. Of Oakland's 372 total yards, 112 came on runs by quarterback Terrelle Pryor. The Colts were also able to force a pair of turnovers including a late interception to seal the win. Indianapolis, however, didn't generate much pass rush against Oakland, despite the Raiders having major issues along their offensive line.
Meet the Dolphins
After spending big in free agency the re-tooled Dolphins opened the season with a 23-10 win against the Browns. Tannehill threw for 272 yards, although surprisingly only 15 of those yards went to prized free agent Mike Wallace. With Wallace drawing additional attention from the defense, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson were able to get free. Hartline finished with 114 yards while Gibson caught seven passes for 77 yards.
The effective passing game didn't do much to open up the run for Miami and the Dolphins gained just 20 rushing yards on 23 attempts. Lamar Miller gained three yards on his 10 rushes.
Defensively, the Dolphins were impressive, racking up six sacks and 16 quarterback hits. Miami allowed just 47 rushing yards while forcing three turnovers.
Local Takes: Indianapolis
The Colts won, but as Brad Wells of Stampede Blue noted, Sunday was another example of Indianapolis struggling to hold the lead under head coach Chuck Pagano.
Obviously, the jury is still out on whether Pagano is a “good” head coach, and contrary to what some have freaked out about today on Twitter, I personally never said or thought that Pagano would get fired if the Colts lost to the Raiders.
However, we’re seeing a pattern forming here. Like Scott said, it is certainly “not good” to blow double-digit leads. Letting three of them slip away in six games is troubling. Thankfully, only one was a loss.
Local Takes: Miami
Miller’s stock took a hit following his lackluster performance on the ground as Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider wrote:
Some of this is the offensive line, which we will discuss in a minute, but Miller definitely did not look like a player able to serve as a starting running back. He was indecisive and was brought down behind the line of scrimmage too often, including a stretch where he was brought down for minus two yards three runs in a row. The line struggled to open up running lanes, but Miller just looked overwhelmed in his first start.
Follow the Fun
Be sure to check out SB Nation’s team blogs, Stampede Blue and The Phinsider, for more analysis and highlights from the game.
Add these fine follows to your Twitter timeline:
Neither did Colts. They won. Reason: Pryor INTs RT @greggrosenthal: Falcons had no pass rush or pass protection. Tough to win that way.
— Brad Wells (BBS) (@StampedeBlue) September 9, 2013
Mike Wallace says he was unhappy with himself, not coaches, after yesterday's game. He is in "good spirits." http://t.co/FWZpX9fHfs
— Kevin Nogle (@thephinsider) September 9, 2013
@gmbremer -- Colts beat writer
George Bremer: Uncertainty lone constant in NFL http://t.co/aIJwQaV7ha via @sharethis
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) September 10, 2013
@AdamHBeasley -- Dolphins beat writer
For as well as the Dolphins' defense played yesterday -- and it was excellent -- the team still has breakdowns in coverage vs. tight ends.
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 9, 2013
Prediction
From the Week 2 picks:
Odds
Indianapolis opened as a 1-1/2-point favorite according to OddsShark. The total opened at 43 points.
Next Week
The Colts will travel to San Francisco for a matchup with the 49ers.
Miami will play at home for the first time this season, hosting Atlanta.
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