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| Other Week 2 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at JAX | BAL at SD | CAR at ATL | CIN at GB | CLE at DEN | HOU at TEN | IND at MIA | MIN at DET |
| NE at NYJ | NO at PHI | NYG at DAL | OAK at KC | PIT at CHI | SEA at SF | STL at WAS | TB at BUF |
Week 2 Game Recap: Indianapolis Colts 27, Miami Dolphins 23
Indianapolis Colts
| QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 14 - 23 - 303 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 |
Manning added another chapter to his growing book of legends, leading the Colts to a victory despite only having the ball for one quarter of the game. He hit Dallas Clark with precise downfield throws to set up a field goal and a TD run by Donald Brown, hit Clark on an 80-yard TD to open the game, and capped it with a short pass to Pierre Garcon that he took to the house. Manning didn't seem to be affected at all by the loss of Anthony Gonzalez or having so few possessions to work with, even when his only possession of the third quarter ended up being the Joey Porter show. He's one of the best to ever play QB, and just when you think you've seen he's not quite the elite QB he used to be, he has a game like this one.
| RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 6 - 32 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) |
Addai got work early and gashed the Dolphins D for two long runs with subtle cuts and good burst through the hole. He also had a decent gain on his one reception, but the minuscule time of possession for Colts and great play of Donald Brown in the fourth quarter greatly limited Addai's opportunities.
| RB Donald Brown, Rush: 4 - 26 - 1, Rec: 1 - 24 - 0 (1 targets) |
Brown only got four touches, but he made quite an impression on the national TV audience. He hauled in a wheel route late in the first half to help set up a field goal, and he would not be denied on his fourth quarter TD run, breaking at least two tackles while "running hot" on the way to the end zone. He will definitely get consideration for more work going forward.
| WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (6 targets) |
Wayne was covered pretty well by rookie Sean Smith, although if the Colts had gotten the ball more, he would have still had a solid fantasy night. He showed that telepathy with Manning on a back shoulder throw, and he got a few targets early, but it was a very quiet night for Manning as he took a back seat to Dallas Clark.
| WR Pierre Garcon, Rec: 1 - 48 - 1 (3 targets) |
Garcon caught a deep ball out of bounds on his first target, but he stayed on the field of play all the way to end zone on his second target, a 48 yard catch and run that highlighted his jets. Garcon had one blocker downfield on the short pass, and set the escort up perfectly. His speed adds another dimension to the passing offense, making Manning an even better fantasy option because he now can get yards/TDs that he didn't create.
| WR Austin Collie, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (3 targets) |
Collie started, but he played a very small role, not hooking up with Manning on one short route, but converting a third down on the same route later in the game. It doesn't seem like he was going to be a big part of the game plan even if the Colts had more possessions.
| TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 7 - 183 - 1 (8 targets) |
Clark's night opened with an 80-yard catch and run that saw him break Gibril Wilson's tackle on the way to the end zone, and he basically got open at will all night. Wilson and Yeremiah Bell could not contain him, a week after Tony Gonzalez gave them fits. He had a drop, and a decent gain called back by a penalty, but it didn't stop him from having the best game any fantasy TE has had this year, and probably will have this year. He's far and away the #1 fantasy TE to have while Gonzalez is out.
Miami Dolphins
| QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 22 - 33 - 183 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 |
Pennington yielded to Ronnie Brown and wildcat for 12 snaps, the most the Dolphins have ever run in a game, but he still threw 33 passes, most of them short targets to Ted Ginn, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo. Pennington threw a perfect deep pass to Ginn in the first half that he didn't extend for and let fall harmlessly to the ground in the end zone, and he gave Ginn a chance to win the game on a jumpball that Ginn got his hands on in the late fourth quarter. He was calm in the pocket, making great decisions, and his interception was on a desperation play to end the Dolphins final possession. This loss is definitely not on Pennington.
| QB Pat White |
White got a few spread option snaps, but it is clear that he is still a backup option even when the Dolphins go to special offensive sets.
| RB Ronnie Brown, Rush: 24 - 136 - 2 (1 targets) |
Ronnie Brown had a truimphant night on the one-year birthday of the Wildcat formation. He ran the offense like he had been doing it his whole life, making terrific reads, and running with power and speed when he kept the ball. Brown busted off multiple long runs in the formation, including a TD, and he also set up Ricky Williams and Patrick Cobbs for big runs. Brown generally looked more explosive, more decisive, and stronger than he did in week 1, but he wasn't nearly as successful on conventional runs as he was in the wildcat. He did score his second TD on a handoff from Pennington inside the Colts five-yard line.
| RB Ricky Williams, Rush: 19 - 69 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) |
Williams ran with great body lean, power, and leg drive on his carries. He ground out the tough yards that helped the Dolphins keep the Colts off the field. Williams demonstrated classic downhill running, and he will continue to force an RBBC in Miami as long as plays like he did on Monday night.
| RB Patrick Cobbs, Rush: 2 - 23 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Cobbs ran hard on his few touches, breaking a tackle on one run, and showing good speed on his long run off a Brown handoff from the wildcat.
| RB Lousaka Polite, Rush: 3 - 7 - 0 |
Polite got his number called on multiple short yardage runs, and his success probably means he will continue to have a sporadic role in the running game.
| WR Ted Ginn, Rec: 11 - 108 - 0 (16 targets) |
You might think that Ted Ginn had a breakout game from his stat line, but he left the breakout game on the ground by not pulling one easy deep ball from Pennington early, and a harder one late that a top 10 draft pick and #1 wide receiver needs to be able to make. Ginn caught a lot of balls on intermediate routes to the edges of the field because the defense respected his speed, and he racked up more than half of his yards on fourth quarter drives when the Dolphins opened up the offense in an attempt to win the game. Ginn didn't compete well for the ball when he was closely covered, and he generally seemed to shy away from contact. Even though Ginn had a great night in the box score, he was exposed as a soft wide receiver who doesn't come through in the clutch in front of a big audience.
| WR Greg Camarillo, Rec: 3 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) |
Camarillo started, but he only had three short targets on the night. He made a nice move to get some yards after catch on one target, but was otherwise very quiet and unproductive.
| WR Davone Bess, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) |
Bess converted all three of his targets, including a key long gain on 2nd and 20 late in the game, but he was overshadowed by Ted Ginn in the game plan.
| WR Brian Hartline, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) |
Hartline had a few catches early, but he often left the field for Bess and Camarillo. All three will continue to short-circuit each others fantasy value.
| TE Anthony Fasano, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) |
Fasano had a chance to make a very athletic catch inside the five early, but couldn't extend quite far enough to come down with the catch, and he a one-yard catch to get a first down later, but mostly, he was used to block down on the Colts talented DE combo to give Chad Pennington time to operate.