The Indianapolis Colts have spent the past month looking like a team that’s been pulled apart piece by piece. They fired their general manager, traded away key players, and dropped five straight, turning a season that started with division-title hopes into something much messier.
And yet, Week 10 gives them a rare opening to look like a functioning football team again. The Colts host the 1-win Miami Dolphins, a matchup that suddenly feels like one of the few chances left for Indianapolis to steady itself. Against a team dealing with its own problems, the Colts may actually have a path to a much-needed win.
One of the clearest places that could show up is in the run game. Jonathan Taylor has gone an entire year without topping 100 rushing yards in a game, a stretch that says more about Indianapolis’ offense than it does about his ability.
He has come close plenty of times this season, going over 90 yards five times, but never quite getting to the milestone. This week could be different.
If the Colts aren’t chasing the game, Taylor should be able to handle a full workload against a defense that looks ripe for the taking.
Tyler Warren is another player who could benefit from the chaos around him. Indianapolis’ receiving corps has been gutted, with Alec Pierce still on Injured Reserve and Josh Downs and Keenan Allen traded on deadline day.
Those three were the Colts’ top wideouts entering the season, and none of them will be available in Week 10. That leaves Warren in position for a much bigger role.
After a relatively quiet season, the tight end should get plenty of chances early and often against Miami.
The Colts’ pass rush also has a chance to make noise in a big way. After a rough stretch, the pressure has started to come together, with back-to-back-to-back games of three sacks.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Laiatu Latu, and JT Tuimoloau have all been part of that recent uptick. Now they get a Miami offense that has already surrendered 21 sacks through seven games, and the quarterback situation only helps Indianapolis.
Hyper-mobile Miami QB Malik Willis will miss the game because of injury, and second-year pro Kyle McCord is set to make his NFL debut. McCord won’t bring Willis’ escape ability, and he’s never taken a regular-season snap before.
That sets up a real chance for Indianapolis to post its first 4+ sack game of 2026.
On the other side of the ball, the Colts’ run defense could put Ollie Gordon in line for a career day. Indianapolis has the third-worst run defense in the league, giving up 137 rushing yards per game, and opposing backs have already piled up big numbers against them.
Derrick Henry, Kenneth Walker III, Jaylen Warren, Bhayshul Tuten, and Javonte Williams have all produced monster stat lines against this defense. Gordon, who has stepped in for the injured De’Von Achane and impressed in his second NFL season, already has a career-high 103 rushing yards from Week 7.
Another big number could be on the table here.
All of that leads to the biggest prediction of the week: Indianapolis finally snaps the skid. The Colts have looked lost for five straight games, and the roster has been thinned out by the recent trades.
But this is still their best chance in a while. Miami has only one win, and McCord is making his first NFL start.
Nothing about this version of the Colts is easy, but this matchup is as close as they’ll get to a clean shot at victory.
In Other News...
Colts Fans May Not Like What This Means For Anthony Richardson
The Colts quarterback picture has gotten clearer, and not in a way that will thrill everyone in Indianapolis. The team explored the possibility of moving Daniel Jones but ultimately chose to keep him, a sign that the coaching staff views him as the safer option over Anthony Richardson Sr., even with Richardsons first-round pedigree still hanging over the conversation.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that Richardson is unlikely to see the field this season unless Jones gets hurt, which says plenty about where things stand inside the building. For a player who was supposed to be part of the franchises long-term answer, that kind of pecking order is a tough one to ignore, and it leaves Richardson waiting for an opening that may never come on its own. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Kept Daniel Jones But His Future Still Feels Unsettled
Daniel Jones is still in Indianapolis after the trade deadline, and that alone says plenty about where the Colts stand with their quarterback situation. The team chose not to move on from him, even with his future beyond the 2026 season still hanging in the balance, leaving him in place for the stretch run while the long-term picture remains cloudy.
Jones has not exactly quieted the questions with his play, either, as his season has included issues with completion percentage, yards per attempt and turnovers. The Colts decision to keep him may have as much to do with finances as football, but for now the focus stays on what he can do in the present, even as the uncertainty around his next chapter keeps lingering in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Josh Downs Problem Fans Feared
Josh Downs exit from Indianapolis came quickly, and it left the Colts with a hole they did not have long to fill. After requesting a trade, Downs was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs, ending his run with a team that had counted on him as part of its passing game and leaving Indianapolis to adjust its plans without one of its more dynamic receivers.
Kansas City, meanwhile, is treating the move like a major addition. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have both voiced enthusiasm about bringing Downs into the offense, and the expectation is that he will have a significant role right away. Downs has spoken positively about his time with the Colts, but for Indianapolis the bigger story is the one he leaves behind, and how quickly the offense can absorb the loss. [Read more 🡒]