Five snapshots from the Dolphins-Colts series, focusing on games in Indianapolis...
Dec. 9, 1984
The Dolphins' first visit to Indianapolis after the Colts' move from Baltimore came in the next-to-last week of the 1984 season and the game featured Dan Marino at his record-breaking finest. One week after setting the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season, Marino tacked on four more to this season total. All of them came in the second half as the Dolphins rallied from a 17-7 deficit for a 35-17 victory.
Sept. 6, 1998
This game was noteworthy because it marked the NFL debut of the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft, quarterback Peyton Manning. While Manning would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, the Dolphins made sure he did not enjoy his NFL debut. The Dolphins defense came up with three interceptions, including two by cornerback Terrell Buckley, and four sacks in a 24-15 victory. Manning did throw his first career touchdown pass in the game, but it came with 4 seconds left in the fourth quarter and meant little other than to make the final score more respectable for the Colts.
Oct. 10, 1999
This battle between Dan Marino and Peyton Manning produced one of the wildest fourth quarters in Dolphins history. The Dolphins trailed 17-9 entering the final 15 minutes before pulling out a 34-31 victory on Marino's 2-yard touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden with 27 seconds left. The score came two plays after Marino and Gadsden hooked up for a 48-yard completion on fourth-and-10 from midfield. The 25 fourth-quarter points set a franchise record that stands to this day.
Nov. 11, 2001
In the final season the Dolphins and Colts were division rivals, the first meeting took place at the RCA Dome in Week 9. Though Manning threw three touchdown passes for the Colts, the Dolphins stopped the Indy offense twice to secure a 27-24 victory after Jay Fiedler's 29-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Chris Chambers midway through the fourth quarter. The Dolphins clinched the victory when a fourth-and-21 pass by Manning fell incomplete after a third-down sack by Jason Taylor, whose fumble recovery had set up Chambers' touchdown.
Sept. 15, 2013
This was Week 2 of the 2013 season and the Dolphins pulled out an impressive 24-20 victory thanks to two big plays by the defense in the fourth quarter. The first came when cornerback Brent Grimes picked off Andrew Luck in the end zone on a first-and-10 at the Miami 34 and the second was linebacker Philip Wheeler's sack on fourth-and-10 from the Miami 23. The winning touchdown came late in the third quarter on a 1-yard run by H-back/tight end Charles Clay.
