Peyton Manning goes deep quickly, Ronnie Brown answers, Colts and Dolphins tied 7-7 after 1st

Colts and Dolphins tied 7-7 after 1st quarter

MIAMI — Peyton Manning connected with Dallas Clark for his longest completion since 2005 on the first play from scrimmage, and the Indianapolis Colts were tied 7-7 with the Miami Dolphins after one quarter Monday night.

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 Gibril Wilson’s tackle attempt near midfield on his way to an 80-yard score a mere 12 seconds after kickoff.

Ronnie Brown answered with a 14-yard touchdown run for the Dolphins, who opened their home schedule on Monday night for the first time since 1975.

With the stadium buzzing after a pregame show, the 5,999th pass of Manning’s career quickly rendered the crowd a bit quieter. 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 — threw pass No. 6,000 later in the quarter, an 8-yard gain to Clark.

The Dolphins outgained Indianapolis 113-104 in the opening quarter, holding the ball for nearly 12 of the 15 minutes.

Paced by Brown, they rebutted the Colts’ big-play score quickly.

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’s first score.