The Indianapolis Colts had trouble with a bad Oakland team in Week 1. This week they’ll get an improving Miami Dolphins squad that gave them trouble last season, and is coming off an impressive Week 1 win.
Miami Dolphins (1-0) at Indianapolis Colts (1-0)
Date: Sunday, September 15, 2013
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
City: Indianapolis, Indiana
O/U Odds: 43.5
Spread: Indianapolis -2.5
Money Line: Indianapolis -135, Miami +115
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The Colts found themselves trailing the Raiders in the fourth quarter before Andrew Luck’s 19-yard scamper saved the day.
The Colts were expected to lean more heavily on the run under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, but they weren’t able to establish their ground game against the Raiders, piling up only 127 yards against a bad Oakland defense.
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Ahmad Bradshaw was supposed to be at the head of a backfield committee, but he gained only 26 yards on seven carries, while Vick Ballard churned out 63 yards on 13 totes. A lot of the team’s rushing yardage came from Luck, who gained 38 yards on six carries, including that key 19-yard score late. Luck also completed 18 of 23 passes for 178 yards and two scores.
Not surprisingly, Luck’s favorite target on the night was Reggie Wayne, who hauled in eight balls for 96 yards and a score.
The Colt defense has positives and negatives to draw off after the game. The team has been knocked for their inability to stop the run in recent years, but they did a good job of stopping Darren McFadden, limiting him to only 48 yards on 17 carries for an average of just 2.8 yards per carry. The problem is they were ripped to shreds by Terrelle Pryor. Pryor rushed for a whopping 112 yards – the second-highest rushing total of the week among ALL players. He also threw for 217 yards and a score.
Miami’s big acquisitions are beginning to pay dividends. The team won a big game in Week 1.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill took a big step forward. He completed 24 of 38 passes for 272 yards and a score with an interception. Tannehill needed to be good, because the team’s ground game was non-existent.
Lamar Miller rushed for only three yards on 10 carries, while Daniel Thomas racked up 14 yards on just eight carries. Tannehill’s favorite target in the game was Brian Hartline, who caught nine balls for 114 yards and a score. Mike Wallace whined about his lack of looks after the game, so look for the team to look his way a little more in this one.
The Miami defense was very opportunistic in the game. They intercepted Brandon Weeden three times, and allowed Cleveland to convert on only 1 of 14 attempts.
The Colts were able to beat the Dolphins by a field goal last season, and that’s all they will have to do this season. Miami looks like they’ve gotten better over the offseason, but they are playing their second road game in a row to start the season.
The Colts are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.
The play: Indianapolis -2.5
