Manning goes deep quickly, Brown answers, and Colts and Dolphins tied 13-13 at halftime

Colts, Dolphins tied 13-13 at halftime

MIAMI — Ronnie Brown rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, and the clock-controlling Miami Dolphins overcame Peyton Manning’s longest completion since 2005 to claw into a 13-13 halftime tie with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night.

Dan Carpenter kicked two second-quarter field goals for the Dolphins, both off the Florida Marlins’ infield dirt. The first was a 45-yarder, the second from 44 yards with 43 seconds left.

That left Manning plenty of time.

Catching a break when an interception by Miami’s Gibril Wilson was overturned with 8 seconds left in the half, Manning’s 20-yard pass to Dallas Clark set up Adam Vinatieri — whose 48-yarder caromed off the left upright and through on the final play before intermission.

Manning connected with Clark for an 80-yard score on the first play from scrimmage. He completed only 4 of his next 9 passes for 35 yards, finishing the half 7 of 14 for 159 yards.

Miami held the ball for 20½ of the 30 first-half minutes. Indianapolis outgained the Dolphins through two quarters 198-186, with the Colts doing most of their work through the air, Miami doing most of its on the ground, churning out 132 rushing yards.

The Dolphins hosted a Monday night game for the first time since Christmas 2006, and the stadium was buzzing after a slew of pregame festivities.

The 5,999th pass of Manning’s career quickly rendered the crowd a bit quieter.

Manning faked a handoff and lofted a pass down the middle to Clark, who blew past linebacker Akin Ayodele at the line of scrimmage, then shook off Wilson’s tackle attempt near midfield on his way to the end zone a mere 12 seconds after kickoff.

It was Manning’s longest pass play in a regular-season game since Nov. 28, 2005 — another Monday night matchup, one where he connected with Marvin Harrison for an 80-yard score on the Colts’ first offensive play against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Manning — playing on the Dolphins’ home field for the first time since winning the Super Bowl there in February 2007 — has thrown at least one Monday night TD pass in each of the last eight seasons. He threw career pass No. 6,000 later in the first quarter, an 8-yard gain to Clark.

Brown answered the big Colts’ score — one that had Tiger Woods giving Manning a celebratory slap on the Indy sideline — with a 14-yard touchdown run for the Dolphins.

Miami’s first drive turned into a 75-yard, nine-play march where the wildcat formation was used three times — the last of those being a direct snap to Brown, who bounded through a hole in the right side of the line for a 14-yard touchdown run. Those three wildcat tries earned Miami 28 yards on its opening drive.

The show in Miami started long before kickoff.

Celebrities were feted with an “orange carpet” arrival. New minority ownership partners Serena and Venus Williams were escorted to midfield by legendary Miami quarterbacks Bob Griese and Dan Marino. Jimmy Buffett — another partner of owner Stephen Ross — held a pregame concert outside the stadium’s main entrance, and another of his Dolphins-themed songs blared after Miami scores.