Miami at Denver


Game Day Preview: Miami at Denver


Baxter's Bits: Dolphins at Broncos


Focal Point: Davis vs. the Dolphins defense


Inside the Broncos playbook


AFC: They meet in passing


Aging gunslingers duel one last time


Neyer: Greatest ever? No way it's Elway


Secondary a primary concern for Broncos


Broncos get their wish


Brace for a Rocky Mountain goodbye


Champs assess chinks in armor

DOLPHINS (11-6) AT BRONCOS (14-2)
Running game
Dolphins run offense vs. Broncos run defense Advantage: Even The Dolphins will run the football. Jimmy Johnson and offensive coordinator Kippy Brown have committed to the run, but when the game's on the line, Dan Marino is going to throw. It's fortunate they have a running back like Karim Abdul-Jabbar, who can pound it between the tackles. And they also have a back like John Avery, who has good speed. They have to run to win this game. They can't rely on Marino to throw 40 times. The Denver defense is pretty stout up front, but the Broncos are good -- not great -- against the run. Meanwhile, Miami isn't a great running team. Denver could probably win without stopping Miami's running attack, but I don't know if Miami can win without stopping Denver's ground game.	Broncos run offense vs. Dolphins run defense Advantage: Broncos If their Week 16 meeting was any indication, you'd say Miami would dominant here. Johnson and defensive coordinator George Hill will have a plan, and even more now than ever, they will have to load the box at the line of scrimmage for the simple reason that there will be no Tim Bowens or Jason Taylor in the lineup. Bowens is going to the Pro Bowl, and Taylor will someday. I don't anticipate the Dolphins being able to stop Terrell Davis like they did the last time. Davis is the best running back in football, and the Broncos offensive line moves well and is physical. It's going to take more than the front seven to stop Denver.
Passing game
Dolphins pass offense vs. Broncos pass defense Advantage: Dolphins The Denver cornerbacks, Darrien Gordon and Ray Crockett, can make plays, but I think Miami has the edge because of the way the Dolphins have expanded their passing game. Oronde Gadsden has played better recently, Lamar Thomas abused Denver in the first game, and O.J. McDuffie led the league in catches. McDuffie did not practice Wednesday, and it will be a big loss if he's unable to play. The Dolphins have a quarterback in Marino, who can get rid of the ball quickly. The Miami air attack is playing with a lot of confidence. If the weather is cold, switch this advantage to Denver. The way the Dolphins played the first game, I give them the advantage.	Broncos pass offense vs. Dolphins pass defense Advantage: Broncos Dolphins cornerbacks Sam Madison and Terrell Buckley gamble often, but they have been great. Madison has proved he's one of the better corners in the league. Buckley can get burned, but he'll also come back and kill an offense by making a great play. But I'm going to give the advantage to Denver, because size-wise the Broncos receivers, Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith, have a big edge. I don't think they'll be held to six catches between them again. Mike Shanahan will try to create a mismatch. That's nearly an even matchup, but Denver is at home. John Elway will have a much better game the second time around against Miami. And the passing game leans more in Denver's favor when the Broncos line up Shannon Sharpe outside and put him on a linebacker. Zach Thomas did a nice job in the last meeting, but I don't think Thomas should be able to cover Sharpe in the open field. The Broncos have three players with 60-plus catches, but I fully expect Madison, Buckley and Thomas to make a few plays.
Special teams
Advantage: Broncos The Broncos kick in bad weather all the time and kick well. Jason Elam, who tied the NFL record with a 63-yard field goal earlier this year, is a great weapon because he can give the Broncos three points from any point in Miami territory. The Dolphins special teams can make a difference, and they perform well. However, the Broncos win this matchup with Elam and a punt returner in Gordon, who returned three kicks for touchdowns last year.
Coaching
Advantage: Even As a game-planner, Mike Shanahan is awesome. Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells might be the two best coaches in the league. Johnson gets the most out of his players and does it his way, while Shanahan does it a different way and gets results. I would be remiss if I gave the edge to one side or another. I would have said last year the edge would go to Johnson, but Shanahan has won a Super Bowl now. I don't see weaknesses on either staff.
Overall
Advantage: Broncos Injuries are going to hurt the Dolphins, but I don't ever put anything past Johnson and Marino. This game is on the road, and Johnson has admitted the Dolphins don't play as well in cold weather. The Broncos were embarrassed in that Monday night game. I fully expect Denver to play better, and Elway won't have as bad a game as he did that night. Something special has to happen for Miami to pull the upset.