Dolphins had both Super Bowl entrants on ropes this season

The two teams going to the Super Bowl are two teams the Dolphins feel they could have — maybe even should have — beaten in 2009. The Dolphins had solid performances against Indianapolis and New Orleans, with both games going deep into the fourth quarter before being decided. But as was the case in their respective conference championship games Sunday, the Colts and Saints made the plays with the game on the line and the Dolphins didn’t. Against Indianapolis, Miami held the ball for 45:07 to the Colts’ 14:53 and led 23-20 when Dan Carpenter kicked a 45-yard field goal with 6:16 to play. But Peyton Manning demonstrated why he would go on to win league MVP honors this year, hitting wideout Pierre Garcon of West Palm Beach with a short screen pass that Garcon turned into a 48-yard score with 3:18 left. The Dolphins still had a last chance to win, but Chad Pennington’s long pass to Ted Ginn Jr. bounced off his hands in the end zone as Indy escaped with a 27-23 victory on their way to a 14-0 start. Five weeks later, Miami roared out to a 24-3 lead

against the unbeaten (6-0) Saints before Drew Brees cut the deficit to 24-10 with a 1-yard QB sneak with two seconds left in the half. Then, on the first possession of the second half came the play the turned the game. Henne threw a sideline pass to Ginn that bounced off his hands and into those of Darren Sharper at the Miami 42. Sharper headed down the sideline and scored, though a photo that later appeared in Sports Illustrated showed Ginn knocking the ball out of his hands from behind well short of the goal line. The ball went out the side of the end zone and should have gone to Miami, but officials let the score stand and the Saints were within 24-17. The Saints pulled away with 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a 46-34 win. Of course, there is some solace as Dolfans prepare to welcome the Colts and Saints to South Florida. At least it won’t be the New York Jets moving into their locker room next week.

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Dolphins had both Super Bowl entrants on ropes this season

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