Colts 16-10 Dolphins (Oct. 20, 2024) Game Recap

INDIANAPOLIS — Anthony Richardson didn't even bother to look at the stats on Sunday.

He only cared about winning.

After missing nearly three entire games with a right hip injury, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback returned to action, scoring on Tyler Goodson's first NFL touchdown and leading the Colts to two field goals in the fourth quarter to lead the Miami Dolphins 16:10 to defeat.

“We expected to come into this game and get the win, that was our whole mindset,” Richardson said. “It makes me feel good that we got the 'W' even though the offense had a little trouble finding consistency.”

It was more than a little.

Whether it was rust, the Dolphins' stingy defense or a combination of both, Richardson managed just 10 of 24 for 129 yards through the air and rushed 14 times for 56 yards on a day when the Colts (4-3) totaled just 284 yards produced and one TD, Goodson's 7-yard run to tie the score at 10 early in the third quarter.

Still, Indy managed to take the lead on Matt Gay's 22-yard field goal with 8:41 left, extend the lead on Gay's 38-yard goal with 1:51 left and at the Indianapolis 33-yard line Getting a fourth down stop secures the fourth win in five weeks. The Colts have won three straight home games and are within one game of AFC South leader Houston (5-2).

“Obviously we want to finish with touchdowns down there,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “We have to be better, I have to be better (at play calls), but we found a way to win the game,” and that’s what matters.

Miami (2-4) again couldn't overcome its blunders and lost another quarterback, Tyler Huntley, to an injury in the third quarter. Huntley did not return and Tim Boyle finished the game.

Huntley was 7 of 13 for 87 yards, a TD and ran five times for 20 yards before leaving the game midway through the third quarter after injuring his throwing shoulder.

Boyle was 8 of 13 for 74 yards and while Devon Achane had 15 carries for 77 yards and Jonnu Smith caught seven passes for 96 yards and the Dolphins' only touchdown, Tyreek Hill had just one catch for 8 yards and Jaylen Waddle caught just one pass for 11 meters.

The NFL's lowest-scoring team knows Hill and Waddle need to be more involved.

“They were phenomenal the whole game. “They took a comprehensive look at their role,” coach Mike McDaniel said after the fourth loss in five weeks. “If you run the ball 40 times, it actually minimizes the chances.”

And yet the Dolphins still had a chance to tie the game with a 54-yard field goal with 5:14 left. But Jason Sanders' kick failed to hit the post, leaving the Dolphins behind 13:10.

Miami and Indy combined for just one score in the first 29 minutes – Huntley's 10-yard TD pass to Smith on third-and-goal midway through the first quarter.

Sanders hit a 33-yard field goal with 22 seconds left in the first half and Gay tied it with a 52-yarder on the final play of the second quarter to bring the Colts to within 10-3.

Not much changed in the second half.

Indy turned Raheem Mostert's fumble into Goodson's TD run with 9:08 left in the third quarter, and it stayed that way until Indy turned Alec Ingold's fumble into the second of Gay's three field goals with 8:41 left in the game.

“My team has to trust me to just go out there, make plays and just do what I do,” said Richardson, who had a new haircut for his return. “It's just a matter of keeping myself going, keeping doing what I'm doing, even though I struggled a little bit in the first half and the second. They still trusted me to call plays and make some plays.”

Clark honored

Former tight end Dallas Clark became the newest member of the Colts Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. His name and the years he played (2003–11) now appear above the south end zone.

Clark played 11 seasons in the NFL, the first nine with Indy after the Colts drafted him in the first round. He finished his Colts career with 649 receptions, 4,887 yards, 46 TDs, two Super Bowl appearances and an All-Pro selection. Attendees included Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James.

Difficult start

The Colts had planned to open the retractable roof and north end window on a warm, sunny day. But mechanical problems forced the team to keep the roof closed.

“The roof is closed due to operational issues,” team owner Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter before the game. “Very disappointing. Apologies to our fans.”

Next

Dolphins: Host Arizona next Sunday.

Colts: Begin a two-game road trip next Sunday in Houston.

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