The Colts and Dolphins meet Sunday in a game that looks more like a survival test than a showcase. Indianapolis is 2-7, Miami is 1-7, and both teams arrive with offenses that have spent most of the season searching for answers.
Indianapolis still has Daniel Jones, who has completed 60.3% of his passes for 1,722 yards with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and Jonathan Taylor, who has run for 656 yards at 4.1 per carry with eight scores. Tight end Tyler Warren has also been part of the attack with 38 catches, 7.2 yards per catch and three total touchdowns. Even with those pieces, the Colts have struggled to move the ball, averaging just 4.5 yards per play, which ranks 31st in the NFL.
The defense has had its own problems. Akeem Davis-Gaither leads the team with 65 tackles, and Adetomiwa Adebawore has four sacks, but Indianapolis is giving up 6.1 yards per play, which ranks 32nd, and it carries a minus-1.2 turnover margin per game, also 31st.
Miami’s numbers are just as rough. The Dolphins are scoring 15.8 points per game, 31st in the league, completing 58.4% of their passes, also 31st, and allowing 8.1 yards per pass attempt, again 31st. Malik Willis, who had completed 58.2% of his throws for 1,396 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions, was placed on injured reserve this week, opening the door for second-year player Kyle McCord to make his first NFL pass.
The Dolphins still have some production on the roster. Ollie Gordon II has rushed for 463 yards at 4.3 per carry with four touchdowns, Malik Washington has 33 catches for 10.6 yards per catch and one score, rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has 79 tackles and one interception, and Jordyn Brooks has 75 tackles.
BetMGM lists the Colts as 2.5-point favorites, with an over/under of 40.5 and a moneyline of Colts -145, Dolphins +120.
The picks leaned mostly toward Indianapolis, though not by much. Nathan Brown of IndyStar took the Colts 27-17, writing, "In a battle of two of the worst offenses and defenses in the league, I think Indianapolis wins out with the few difference makers (or potential ones) it has on the field in both sides of the ball. But I don’t expect this to be a pretty football game to watch."
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports went with Colts 23-22: "This is the dog game of the week between two struggling teams. But one is young and playing hard on the way up, while one is on the way down after trading away assets.
The problem for Miami is that quarterback Malik Willis is out. That means Kyle McCord will start at quarterback.
Miami will hang around against the depleted Colts team, but the Colts will win it late."
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report backed the Colts to cover: "The Colts didn’t trade everyone, and plenty of talent can still be found in the Indianapolis secondary to confuse a first-time starter. Plus, Jonathan Taylor remains a Colt, so the Indianapolis offense can still feature a strong run game."
Vic Tafur of The Athletic also had Indianapolis covering: "This is a game no one should or will watch, but if you lost a bet and had to … you would see a heavily penalized team facing a savvy Colts team that beats itself in many ways - but not with flags. Indianapolis has the second-best penalty-yard margin of any team (224 fewer than opponents).
That’s not floating your boat? How about this?
They use a lot of play-action, and the young, naive Dolphins are the worst team against it (10.7 yards per play allowed)."
Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News picked the Dolphins 23-20: "The Dolphins have been pushing superior teams to the limit, thanks to their defense often holding up well under Jeff Hafley. They just can't win when called upon to find a passing offense that’s not there, especially now without Malik Willis.
Miami will go into this old-school AFC East matchup and pound away with Ollie Gordon. The Colts' offense is a shell with now-lesser receivers around Daniel Jones."
Frank Schwab of Yahoo also backed Indianapolis to cover: "It's very hard to take the Colts, especially because the Dolphins are playing hard. The Colts played hard last week, but have to be deflated after losing that game to the Cowboys in the final minutes and seeing more players traded away.
But it's even harder to back new Dolphins quarterback Kyle McCord, a 2025 sixth-round pick who has never taken an NFL snap, playing with a subpar group. McCord gets the start for Miami with Malik Willis on injured reserve."
Anthony Dabbundo of The Ringer passed: "My numbers tell me I’m supposed to bet the Colts here, but I don’t think I can lay 3.5 in a game where the Colts have Laquon Treadwell, Anthony Gould, and Ashton Dulin as their receivers. Just no explosiveness."
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had Colts 17-7: "With the uncertainty of the trade deadline over, the Colts can get back to focusing on trying to win football games."
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 15, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The game will air on CBS with Spero Dedes on play-by-play, Adam Archuleta on analysis and Aditi Kinkhabwala reporting from the sideline.
Radio coverage is available on 93.5, 97.1 and 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, 104.3 FM in Miami, and SiriusXM channels 196 for the Colts feed and 265.
In Other News...
Colts Secondary Finally Gets A Lift Before A Crucial Dolphins Test
The Colts finally got a little relief in the secondary this week, with defensive backs Justin Walley and A.J. Haulcy both returning to full participation in practice. For a defense that has been managing a long injury list, getting two defensive backs back on the field at least gives Indianapolis a better chance to sort through its coverage options before a matchup that could demand it.
There is still plenty for the Colts to monitor, though, with several players limited or sidelined and edge defender Arden Key just beginning his 21-day practice window after a hamstring injury. Miami has its own availability issues heading into the game, including starter Aaron Brewer being ruled out and Chris Bell also on the injury report, so both teams are walking into this one with some uncertainty still hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Fans Will Want To See Why San Francisco Pivoted Away
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Colts Suddenly Have A New Fantasy Name Fans Should Notice
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For Colts fans, the name worth noticing is Alec Pierce, who fits neatly into that kind of environment. The analysis around this weeks player pool points to favorable defensive vulnerabilities and the chance for expanded involvement, which is exactly the sort of setup that can turn a secondary option into a useful fantasy play. It is not a glamorous storyline, but in a week defined by absences and shifting target shares, Pierce has become the kind of receiver DFS players tend to circle when they are hunting for a little edge. [Read more 🡒]