5 keys to victory against the Indianapolis Colts

Tomorrow, the Miami Dolphins face off against the Indianopolis Colts in a game with huge playoff implications. The Dolphins are currently the AFC's 5th seed, while the Colts are right behind us as the 6th seed. As of now, it seems as if the Dolphins, Colts and Steelers will be competing for two wildcard spots, and winning this game could go a long way for the Dolphins in case a tiebreaker is necessary. In addition, this game happens to be the first time in NFL history that two rookie QBs, both being top 10 picks, and both having winning records are facing off.Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill both appear to be the future of their respective franchises, and this could be a great rookie shootout. My 5 keys to the game are after the jump.

1. Contain the pass rush

The Colts have a dominating pass rush duo of Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney, and it will be up to Jake Long and Jonathon Martin to keep them away from and already damaged Ryan Tannehill. If Tannehill stays off the ground, the will be able to work major damage, however, the offensive line is going to have to keep him off the ground. If the Colts' pass rush gets in Tannehill's face early and often, the Phins' young QB could be in for a long day.

2. Slow down Reggie Wayne and the TEs

Reggie Wayne is playing in a way a WR of his age should not be able to play. Wayne is dominating every game, and looks every bit like a true number 1 WR. Luck will be looking for Wayne often, and it will be up to CB Sean Smith to slow him down. Smith has done a very good job so far this season when up against elite WRs, having limited both Larry Fitzgerald and AJ Green, but he has also struggled, giving up big plays to Santonio Holmes in our first match-up against the Jets. Smith needs to play very well to shut down Wayne. Due to the injury of WR Austin Collie, he Colts have little WR talent outside of Reggie Wayne, so young CBs Nolan Carroll and Jimmy Wilson shouldn't be in too much trouble as long as they keep their heads on straight and do their job, they shouldn't be in too much trouble. However, the Phins will also need to worry abou the Colts' young TE duo. Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen have both been solid for the Colts thus far, and if the Dolphins can no slow down this young duo, they will stand no chance when facing the elite TEs the Patriots boast.

3. Take advantage of the Colts' weak secondary

With CB Vontae Davis out, the porous Colts' secondary got much worse. The Colts have been relying on their pass rush to slow down opposing QBs, but their secondary has been getting burned. Ryan Tannehill should have a field day against these defenders, especially as Jabar Gaffney and Marlon Moore both continue to improve. The Dolphins QB and WRs will have a nice day, and look for TE Anthony Fasano to grab a few catches as well. 

4. Establish a dominating running game

Not only do the Colts have a weak secondary, they also have a porous run defense. Reggie Bush has been in a bit of a slump recently, but he should be ready to take off tomorrow against the Colts' weak run D. Daniel Thomas should have a good day as well. If the Dolphins are not able to establish the running game against a weak run defense like the Colts, there could be some serious problems in Miami. The Dolphins rushing attack has been the focal point of their offense, and without it, we could be in serious trouble.

5. Pressure Andrew Luck up the middle

The Colts have a good duo of OTs to block outside pass rushers, but they struggle when blocking interior pass rushers. Randy Starks and Paul Soliai should take advantage of this. a big part of stopping the Colts offense will be getting pressure on rookie QB Andrew Luck. Starks and Soliai will play a big part in that, especially against the weak interior blocking by the Colts. If the DOlphins can get some sacks or QB hits through their interior D-lineman, then Luck could be off his game for the rest of the day, giving us a good chance to pull this one off.