WHY CAN’T INDY GO 16-0?
By Bob Action of
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The naysayer’s are out in full force these daysas they try and shoot down the notion that the Indianapolis Coltscan go through their regular season 16-0. For those of us oldenough to remember the last team to go through a season undefeatedwas the 1972 Miami Dolphins. What is incredibly hard to believeis that there was such an NFC bias in those years, as that wouldbe the only explanation for the Dolphins being three point underdogsin the Super Bowl against the Redskins.
The Dolphins were led by legendary head coachDon Shula. And with Bob Griese at quarterback and Larry Csonkaat fullback the Dolphins opened the season with high expectations.Although, as everyone knows, the Dolphins did make it throughthe season without a loss on their record, the road was not alwayssmooth sailing and the games were often not decided until thefourth quarter.
Miami started the season by helping the KansasCity Chiefs open the new Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
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The Dolphins handled the Chiefs pretty easily,defeating them 20-10, with the Chiefs scoring their only touchdownwith nine seconds to play in the game. Larry Csonka led the waywith 118 yards rushing and scored one touchdown, while Griesechipped in with a touchdown pass to Marlin Briscoe. Week two wasno different as Miami dominated the Houston Oilers, 34-13.
Week three brought the first close call of theseason for the Miami Dolphins. They were playing Minnesota, andthe Vikings had the upperhand most of the game. The Dolphins weretrailing, 14-6 in the fourth quarter before Garo Yepremian connectedon a 51-yard field goal attempt to make the score 14-9. Afterthe Vikings offense bogged down, the Dolphins took possessionof the ball and Griese led them down the field. The drive culminatedin a three-yard touchdown pass from Griese to tight end Jim Mandichwith 1:28 left on the clock. The Dolphins were the only undefeatedteam left in the league.
Miami pulled off easy victories over the Jetsin week four and the Chargers in week five, but the victory overSan Diego came at a huge cost. Quarterback Bob Griese sufferedthe fracture of a small bone in his right leg and he also dislocatedhis right ankle. Griese was replaced by 38-year old Earl Morrall,and in his first full game the veteran backup barely slipped theDolphins past the Buffalo Bills. Morrall, relying heavily on therunning game, threw only ten passes the entire game, completingsix of them for 91 yards.
Miami went into cruise control the next threegames, recording two shutouts and outscoring their opponents,105-16. They would not be tested again until week ten in a rematchwith the New York Jets. With a chance to clinch the AFC East title,the Dolphins found themselves trailing the Jets, 24-20 as thefourth quarter started. But Mercury Morris, who rushed for 107yards during the game, would not be denied as he scampered fourteenyards into the end zone for the go ahead score. The Dolphins clinchedthe AFC East title, and were the proud owners of a 10-0 record.
The Dolphins finished off the final four gamesof the season in dominant fashion. They knocked off the Cardinals,31-10, the Patriots, 37-21, and then the Giants, 23-13. In weekfourteen, the final week of the regular season, the Dolphins beatBaltimore, 16-0, in a game that turned out to be Johnny Unitas'last with the Colts. Not since the Chicago Bears finished theseason undefeated thirty years earlier had a team finished theregular season schedule without a loss.
How ironic in a year where the most used namein the NFL is Manning, that the fortunes of the Colts are theoffensive line’s ability to keep Peyton vertical. Unlike the Dolphinswho had Earl Morrall waiting in the wings with years of experience,Indy only has untested Jim Sorgi. In fact they do not even havea third string quarterback on the roster at this time.
But I choose to look at the glass half full nothalf empty and a quick glance at the remaining eight opponents,suggest history in the making.
Cincinnati on the road is not an issue and eitheris Pittsburgh at home. Most people will point to the Jaguars asa potential loss, but the Jags will not shut down Peyton and hisposse the second time around. San Diego is a tough team with goodbalance, but they find ways to lose this season and Seattle cannotstop Indy on defense.
I am suggesting here that a big celebration willoccur in the desert on the first day of 2006, when the Colts disposeof the Cardinals and finish 16-0!
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