The Colts and Dolphins arrive at Sunday afternoon’s matchup looking for something they haven’t had much of lately: a win that can actually change the mood around the building.
Miami finally got on the board with its lone victory of the season a few weeks ago against the Jets, then managed to cash as a +6.5 underdog against the Patriots before falling 19-9 to the Lions last week. Indianapolis, meanwhile, opened the year 2-2 and has gone off the rails since then, dropping five straight.
All eyes will be on Daniel Jones, especially with the rumors that had been swirling around him. For now, the Colts are sticking with their quarterback, even though the season has been a struggle.
Jones has thrown for 1,722 yards with just six touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, and he’s picked off in eight of nine games this season. That stretch includes four straight games with an interception.
The matchup gives Jones a chance to reset against a Dolphins defense at home, but the bigger picture still points toward Indianapolis having the edge. Even if the Colts move Jonathan Taylor, the home team looks like the side to trust in a game between two of the league’s worst teams.
There’s also recent history working in Indianapolis’ favor. The Colts beat the Dolphins 33-8 at home early last season and have taken the last three meetings against Miami. With the spread sitting small enough to make the home favorite appealing, Indianapolis is the pick here.
In Other News...
Dolphins Home Crowd Problem Is Becoming Impossible To Ignore
After the Week 9 loss, the conversation around the Dolphins shifted from the field to the stands, where visiting fans have become impossible to miss at home games. Players noticed it, too, with the atmosphere inside Hard Rock Stadium drawing attention for feeling far less like a true home setting than Miami would want, especially when the opponent brings a loud and visible crowd.
The bigger issue, according to the discussion around the team, is not a lack of interest in the Dolphins so much as the way tickets are getting into the market. Between pricing, aftermarket sales and the incentives around attendance, local fans are being pushed out while more out-of-town supporters find their way in. It leaves Miami with a home-field problem that goes beyond one game and points back to the way the team has chosen to sell the experience. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Are About To Learn A Lot From Kyle McCords Debut
Kyle McCord is about to get his first real NFL test in a setting that should tell the Dolphins plenty about where he stands. The 2025 sixth-round pick, who spent his rookie season on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad before Miami acquired him in a trade with Green Bay, is set to start against the Indianapolis Colts, giving the Dolphins a chance to see how he handles the speed, pressure and decision-making that come with an actual game plan.
It is also a different kind of debut than the ones Miami has recently seen at quarterback, both in how McCord arrived and in the offensive environment around him. The draft pedigree is modest, the path here has been unusual, and the Dolphins are still trying to learn what they have after paying a future sixth-round pick to bring him in. Sunday should offer a clearer read on McCord, even if it may not answer every question right away. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Keep Earning Respect In One Area Fans Can Appreciate
Even with the record still looking rough, the Dolphins have continued to show something that tends to travel well from week to week: they are staying competitive. In a Week 9 review and Week 11 betting preview, Miami was singled out for the way it has kept games from getting away from it, a trait that matters both to the standings and to anyone trying to size up this team honestly.
That kind of respect does not erase the losses, but it does change the conversation around Miami as the schedule moves on. The bigger question now is whether that competitiveness can turn into something more tangible in the weeks ahead, especially with the kind of uneven NFL landscape that keeps creating opportunities for teams to break through or slip further back. [Read more 🡒]