BY SEAN DONOVAN
With a narrow lead and the opponent driving, it appeared that the Miami Dolphins, just as they had last year, would once again fall victim to the late-game heroics of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
This time around, a pair of new acquisitions made impact plays down the stretch for the Dolphins, who came away with 24-20 victory to improve to 2-0 on the year.
"That was a great football game," Dolphins coach Joe Philbin told reporters after the game.
The Colts had a lot of success early on against Miami's defense, gaining over 300 yards in the first half and matching the quick start that the Dolphins offense had, and the score was tied 17-17 at the break.
Miami tightened up in the third quarter, giving up just three points and helping the team carry a 24-20 lead midway into the final period. That was when Luck, who has developed a flare for the comeback early in his career, started driving into Dolphins territory for the go-ahead score.
But cornerback Brent Grimes, who was a free agent acquisition of the Dolphins' this offseason, intercepted the second-year quarterback in the endzone.
Miami punted on the next drive, giving the Colts another opportunity. This time it was another free agent pick up linebacker Philip Wheeler who sacked Luck on a fourth down, a play that closed out the victory for the Dolphins.
"That's a great way to end a game," Philbin said. "We knew it was going to be a 60-minute game. They've played in a lot of close games here, and they've won a lot of them."
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