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Jay Cutler leads one of the NFL's most productive passing offenses.
DOLPHINS VS. BRONCOS
GAME FACTS
Date: Sunday, Nov. 2
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Site: INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colo.
TV: CBS
THE SERIES
Series Record: Dolphins lead 10-4-1 (including playoffs)
At Miami: Dolphins lead 7-0
At Denver: Broncos lead 4-3-1
Last Meeting: 2005 at Miami; Dolphins 34, Broncos 10
Series Highlight: The Dolphins have had a couple of big victories at Denver, but for pure excitement it's tough to match what happened on Oct. 13, 2002. In a Sunday night game, the Dolphins pulled out a 24-22 victory on a 53-yard field goal by Olindo Mare with six seconds left. Denver had taken a one-point lead with 55 seconds left on a 55-yard kick by Jason Elam before Jay Fiedler completed passes of 17 yards to Randy McMichael and 23 yards to Dedric Ward to set up Mare's game-winner.
Series Lowlight: The Dolphins haven't had many bad days against the Broncos, but the 1998 divisional playoff game at Denver definitely was one of those. The Dolphins really were never in this game, as Terrell Davis rushed for 199 yards and two first-half touchdowns in a 38-3 Broncos victory.
SCOUTING REPORT
Denver's record: 4-3
Last game: Lost at New England, 41-7
The Denver Offense: The Denver offense began the season looking a lot like the New England juggernaut of 2007, but things cooled down dramatically before the Broncos entered their bye last weekend. After scoring 41, 39 and 34 points in their first three games, the Broncos didn't reach 20 in any of their next four. Quarterback Jay Cutler is still in the midst of a terrific season, as he will take a 91.7 passer rating into Sunday's game. His favorite target has been Brandon Marshall, who already has 49 catches despite missing the opener while serving an NFL suspension. The running game, as usual, has been effective, with Michael Pittman, Selvin Young and Andre Hall taking their turns. Now, the Broncos are ready to welcome promising-looking rookie Ryan Torain to add to the mix. The offensive line has done the job in pass protection, with Cutler getting sacked only five times in the first seven games.
The Denver Defense: Unlike the offense, the defense has been pretty consistent all season. Unfortunately for the Broncos, it's been consistently pretty bad. All the numbers look ugly for Denver, whether it's the 5.4 yards per rushing attempt allowed, the 72.9 completion percentage for opposing quarterbacks, the 109.1 passer rating for opponents or the paltry two interceptions recorded by the Broncos. It's a defense devoid of elite talent once you get past cornerback Champ Bailey, and he's expected to miss between four and six weeks because of a groin injury. Denver has managed 16 sacks in its first seven games, but nobody on the team has more than three. With Bailey out, the best defender on the team probably is former University of Miami star D.J. Williams, an undersized but speedy linebacker.
The Denver Special Teams: Placekicker Jason Elam was a fixture in Denver for many years, but he's now in Atlanta and his replacement is Matt Prater, a guy who spent time in the Dolphins training camp in 2007. Prater has been a find for the Broncos; he is 13-of-14 on field goals, including a perfect 4-for-4 mark on attempts of 50 yards or more. The punter also is a newcomer, rookie free agent Brett Kern. He's also done a nice job, compiling an impressive 39.2-yard net average so far. The return game, however, has been very unproductive, whether it be rookie Eddie Royal on punt returns or Andre Hall on kickoffs. The Broncos also have been vulnerable in kickoff coverage, allowing an average of over 26 yards per return, including a 103-yard touchdown by San Diego's Darren Sproles.
LOOKING AHEAD
NOV. 9 - SEATTLE AT DOLPHINS
This is Mike Holmgren's last season as head coach of the Seahawks, but it doesn't appear that he'll be going out in style. Seattle scored an impressive victory at San Francisco in its last outing, but is still reeling with a 2-5 record. Injuries have been a major problem for the Seahawks, who have gone through a bunch of receivers and have had to make do without quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. One bright spot has been the play of running back Julius Jones, the former Dallas starter who was signed in the offseason as a free agent. Another has been defensive end Patrick Kerney, who had five sacks in the first seven games.
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