Series History

ColtsvsBears.gif (6007 bytes)

SERIES HISTORY: The Colts and Dolphins are meeting for the 61^st time, with Miami owning a 41-19 series advantage over the Colts, the most wins by any opponent in Colts history. Miami took a heated 34-31 decision over Indianapolis on October 10 in the RCA Dome to stretch its series winning streak to three games. The Colts dropped a 34-31 decision to Miami at home before a soldout crowd of 56,810 when QB-Dan Marino hit a 2t pass with WR-Oronde Gadsden with :27 remaining. The Colts opened the scoring with a 41-yard K-Mike Vanderjagt field goal 3:41 into the contest. The club was poised to take a 10-0 lead on its second drive, but RB-Edgerrin James (22-81 rushing) fumbled on a first-down rush at the Miami one. The Dolphins parlayed the miscue into a 37-yard K-Olindo Mare field goal. Miami gained a 6-3 lead on its first drive of the second quarter as Mare connected on a 27-yard effort. His kick was set up by a defensive stand at the Indy 11. QB-Peyton Manning (17-24-274, 3 TDs/1 int.) countered with a 33t strike to WR-Marvin Harrison (3-91, 1 TD) to cap an eight-play, 76-yard drive. Miami ended the half with a 21-yard Mare field goal as the Colts defense would not yield after a first-and-goal from its 3. Manning staked the Colts to a 17-9 lead on the club’s first second-half possession. He teamed with TE-Marcus Pollard (4-64, 2 TDs) on a 9t pitch 6:26 into the period. A wild fourth-quarter that saw 39 points scored started early as Marino (25-38-393, 2 TDs) hit WR-Tony Martin on a 28t pass 1:52 into the quarter. After a two-point pass failed, KOR-Terrence Wilkins raced 97 yards with the ensuing kickoff for a 24-15 Colts lead. RB-Cecil Collins (21-76, 1 TD) cut the count to 24-22 3:07 later on a 25t burst. Manning offset the score just 1:31 later by hitting Pollard on a 32t pass to cap a four-play, 67-yard drive. K-Olindo Mare got Miami within 31-25 with 3:20 to go with a 43-yard field goal. A holding call negated a Colts first down two plays later, and Indy chose to take a safety with 1:54 left as Manning ran out of the end zone from the team’s 13. Down 31-27, Miami gained advantage at its 36 with 1:50 left. The key play came seconds later at 1:16 when a sack-fumble of Marino was overturned by instant replay at midfield. Marino found Gadsden for 48 yards to the Indy 2 on fourth-and-10, then hit Gadsden two plays later for the 34-31 win. Miami swept the seasonal series in 1998, taking a 24-15 win in Indianapolis on 9/6, then posting a 27-14 win at home on 11/15. The last Colts series win was 12/14/97, 41-0 in the RCA Dome. The Colts last won in Miami on October 8, 1995, when QB-Jim Harbaugh engineered a come-from-behind win as the Colts trailed, 24-3, in the third period before winning 27-24 in overtime. The Colts are 4-8 overall at Joe Robbie/Pro Player Stadium. The series has been contested more closely since 1992 than in past stretches. Miami owns a 10-6 mark over those 16 games. Miami is 5-2 at home, while the Colts are 4-5 at home. Each team has produced a shutout, along with notching a four-game series winning streak. There has been one overtime game, seven games decided by six points or less and the point differential over the last 15 games is but 40 points (Miami leads, 361-321). NOTABLES: QB-Dan Marino (992-600-7224, 51 TDs/16 ints.) is career leader vs. Colts in comp-att-yds-TDs...6 300+ games are the most vs. Colts...48 att. at Miami 9/15/85 rank as 4th-most vs. Colts in one game...30 comp. 11/6/94 was only the 3rd 30+ individual comp. game ever allowed by Colts...7 career 70+ comp. pct. games are twice as many as any other QBs who ever met Colts...Marino has started 32 of 33 possible career games vs. Colts 1983-99 (missing only 10/24/93 with achilles injury)...his 22 career victories against the Colts are the most by him against any team and are the most against the Colts by any opposing QB... Colts-Dolphins have met 59 times in regular season history (most by Colts vs. any opponent) and once in AFC title game...Miami rushed for 137 yards and had gross passing total of 135 yards in 9/6/98 opening win at Indy, only the 4th time in 33 series games under Marino that Miami had more rushing yards than passing yards...in 11 of 26 regular season Colts-Miami meetings prior to Marino’s arrival, the Dolphins had more yards via the rush than with the pass...the Dolphins were 9-2 in those 11 pre-Marino games and are 4-0 in games with Marino where they rushed for more yards than they passed.