Why to watch: Because the two-time defending Super Bowl champs are starting their pursuit of an unprecedented threepeat against a top AFC contender in prime time. Oh, you want more? Well, how about John Elway getting his No. 7 retired at halftime? Or second-year pro Brian Griese making his first career start in a white-hot spotlight? Or coach Mike Shanahan trying to keep his team together amid the controversy of benching Bubby Brister? Or the aging Dan Marino hoping troubled rookie RB Cecil Collins can help Miami make a Super Bowl run? We could go on and on. Just watch it.

Who to watch: Broncos TE Shannon Sharpe will be a marked man. The mouthy Sharpe's comments after Denver routed Miami 38-3 in the AFC divisional playoffs last season didn't set well with the Dolphins. Reigning NFL MVP Terrell Davis really is the main man in Denver now that Elway is retired. Dolphins RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar is expected to start, but Collins should play despite an ankle injury. Dolphins WR Tony Martin should give Marino a much-needed deep threat. Still, the real guy to watch Monday night is Griese, who goes for a threepeat 25 years after his father Bob failed to do it with ... you guessed it, Miami.

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Dolphins' number to know: Miami was held to 14 yards rushing in its January playoff loss at Denver. The Dolphins' running game ranked 24th in the league last season, something Jimmy Johnson is hoping Collins can change.

Broncos' number to know: Denver has won 24 consecutive regular-season games at Mile High Stadium, and Shanahan has a 6-0 record on opening day. The modern NFL record for consecutive home wins is 27 by ... you guessed it, Miami (1971-74).

What it means: The Broncos will try to make a statement that they're still the team to beat in the NFL and prove they have enough talent to win with an inexperienced quarterback. The Dolphins are out for revenge after last year's ugly playoff loss and to show that the AFC's pecking order has changed for 1999.

Sean Salisbury's breakdown
Dolphins' game plan: Rookie Cecil Collins will be Miami's difference-maker. If he's healthy, look out. The Dolphins should run Collins, throw screens to Collins, and then challenge the Broncos down the field with the speed of Tony Martin -- and immediately.

If Collins isn't healthy, that changes things. The Dolphins will have to go to a running-back-by-committee approach and then hope someone can carry enough of the load. I think Collins has to touch the ball 20-25 times. He gives the Dolphins that outside burst.

O.J. McDuffie had a great 1998 season without having a speedy receiver like Martin to complement him. Now that Martin and McDuffie are the receivers, the Dolphins can challenge the Broncos' corners right away.

Defensively, the Dolphins have to use their speed to bang around Brian Griese. Miami's defense is so good from sideline to sideline. They are a young defensive line still learning how to play. They have bold corners who will be in the face of Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey all the time.

Because they run so well, the Dolphins defenders could give Davis fits. But even though they pursue well, no offensive line in football does cutback blocking better than the Broncos' group. On Davis' runs, Miami's backside defenders can't leave their lanes, especially since Davis is capable of cutting back for some big gains.

They need to pound Griese around, play seven or eight men in the box, don't let Davis get his big runs. If they can force Griese to work with long-yardage situations, he will have to make great decisions, and that will take Davis out of the game.

Miami's defensive line needs to make sure it wins on first down. If the Dolphins win on first down, they win the game because then Davis doesn't become a huge factor, and Griese will have to be the playmaker.

Broncos' game plan: People don't give Griese enough credit. It's just a matter of experience and seeing the field. He will get blitzed and see things he never saw in the preseason.

The Broncos don't need to change their game plan to cater to Griese. There are certain things John Elway did that no normal quarterback could do, like when things broke down. Creativity was part of Elway's greatness. There will be at least eight times in the game when something will break down, and Griese will need to respond under duress. What will he do?

The safety valve for Griese will be that he can always hand the ball to Davis. Also, having targets like McCaffrey, Smith and Shannon Sharpe makes things easier. The Broncos, as always, will run Davis and call on Griese to spread the ball around to his talented receivers. That doesn't change.

The Broncos defense will be aided by the presence of Dale Carter at cornerback. Carter can defend Martin all over the field. Meanwhile, the Broncos can then play zone everywhere else. But with Collins in the game, the Broncos will have to play the Dolphins differently than they ever have. They can't risk just playing two deep and six or seven in the box because now they know Collins has speed and can be dangerous.

Do they take away Martin and let Collins try to beat them, touching the ball 20-30 times? The Broncos can't allow Dan Marino and Martin to play pitch-and-catch, but they still have to be leery of Collins.

Pivotal Player: Griese. He's playing for the two-time Super Bowl champions. He's replacing a legend in Elway. It's Monday Night Football, and the eyes of the world will be upon him. He might play great. But it will seem like there are 15 defenders on the field, especially with a team like Miami that runs so fast. Mile High Stadium will be electric. The Dolphins will be coming after him and the tension will be hot. The first time he throws four incompletions, how will the crowd react? Griese's biggest test may come if it's a close game, and big plays are needed in the final minutes. In those situations, the Broncos used to look to No. 7. How will Griese respond?