Colts Are Clueless Against Dolphins

Whereas the Miami Dolphins raised expectations with a 41-6 victory, the Indianapolis Colts raised something else Monday night.

The white flag.

Three interceptions. Two field goals. One fumble. No hope.

“I’m not angry,” said Coach Jim Mora, mired in his first five-game losing streak with the Colts. “I think there’s a lot of frustration in all of us.... We work on [avoiding turnovers], we preach about it, then we go out there and give them the football.”

Specifically, they gave it to Dolphin safety Brock Marion, who had two interceptions and a fumble he forced and recovered.

But that former Dallas Cowboy wasn’t the lone star. Rookie receiver Chris Chambers scored on touchdown receptions of two and 32 yards.

It was the first time this season the Colts failed to score a touchdown. Peyton Manning completed 19 of 32 passes for 173 yards--101 shy of his average--with three interceptions.

“It’s great to get turnovers,” Dolphin linebacker Zach Thomas said. “But to hold them to six points, I would not believe that.”

The Dolphins, who have staged five fourth-quarter comebacks this season, had another scoring bonanza late in the game-three touchdowns in the final 12:37. But this time they didn’t need them, thanks to three touchdowns in the first half.

“I spoke to them [before the game] about certain examples of why we didn’t start fast in the first quarter, and that we made mistakes and didn’t execute,” said Dolphin Coach Dave Wannstedt, whose 9-3 team is atop the AFC East. “It wasn’t the opposition as much as ourselves who stop ourselves.”

In case Miami had difficulty getting off to a good start, the Colts brought jumper cables. Manning, who was picked off 15 times in each of the last two seasons, is now at 20 and counting. He has thrown 11 interceptions in the last five games.

“These days,” he said, “if it’s a bad throw it doesn’t just hit a guy’s hands and go to the ground. It goes right to the other guy. That’s kind of what we’re dealing with right now.”

Manning was unable to exorcise his demons, although tight end Ken Dilger pulled off a mean Linda Blair impersonation. He caught a pass over the middle in the third quarter and was sandwiched by a trio of Dolphins. One was Thomas, who torqued Dilger’s head nearly halfway around. At the same time, Marion punched the ball loose and grabbed it. It was the third Indianapolis turnover of the game, and the second credited to Marion.

Dilger won’t soon forget the head-turning experience, although he was a bit iffy on the details.

“All of a sudden, my head just kind of did a 180, and my body couldn’t go anywhere,” he said.

The Dolphins weren’t stuck in neutral. They made that clear on their opening possession, driving 84 yards and scoring on a two-yard keeper by Ray Lucas, who occasionally replaces starting quarterback Jay Fiedler in short-yardage situations.

That drive was starkly contrasted by Miami’s quick-strike touchdown early in the second quarter, set up by Marion’s interception and 37-yard return to the Indianapolis eight. Had Marion scored, Manning would have been saddled by a dubious NFL record for interceptions returned for touchdowns in a season. He has seen that horror show six times in 12 games.

No matter. The Dolphins took a 14-0 lead three plays later when Fiedler floated a jump-ball pass to Chambers, who out-leaped Brooks Rodregis for a two-yard touchdown.

Manning’s troubles weren’t over. He drove the Colts to the Miami 41 on their next possession, only to see another of his passes plucked by the opposition. This time, defensive tackle Tim Bowens threw up his hand at precisely the right time and deflected a bullet. Teammate Jason Taylor made the interception and was dragged down at the Dolphin 47.

Miami mounted an 11-play, 53-yard drive--including a successful fake field goal--that ended with a nine-yard touchdown run by Fiedler.

Now, the Dolphins have a short week to prepare for Sunday’s game at San Francisco, one that should give them a better idea of how playoff-ready they are.

“We’ve got a long trip,” Fiedler said. “We know that.”

This one felt more like a stroll.