Colts' struggling offense does just enough to beat Dolphins 24-22 and snap 5-game skid

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Daniel Jones threw a touchdown pass, Seth McGowan scored on a 4-yard run and Adetomiwa Adebawore recovered a fumble in the end zone Sunday to help the Indianapolis Colts hold on for a 24-22 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

The Colts (3-7) snapped a five-game losing streak just five days after they shipped away their top two receivers — Keenan Allen and Josh Downs — at the trade deadline.

But they held onto Jones and star running back Jonathan Taylor, who said goodbye to Colts fans last week but suited up again and finished with 103 total yards.

Some fans wore bags over their heads and Jones was booed resoundingly in the second half with each incompletion or offensive miscue. He finished 11 of 22 for 108 yards with two interceptions. The Colts rushed for 172 yards.

Kyle McCord had a solid starting debut for Miami (1-8), which lost its third straight. He was 17 of 32 for 209 yards, ran for a score and lost one fumble in place of Malik Willis , who went on injured reserve earlier this week. Ollie Gordon II rushed 20 times for 76 yards.

Miami missed three kicks, including a 51-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter that would have given the Dolphins the lead. A series of late penalties also prevented Indy from putting it away until a fourth-down stop with 1:36 to go and McGowan picking up a first down on the ensuing possession.

Indy broke a 7-7 tie when Jones hooked up with Laquon Treadwell for a 7-yard score with 39 seconds left in the first half. It was Treadwell's first TD catch since 2021 with Jacksonville.

The Colts then swung the game on the first Dolphins play of the second half when cornerback Justin Walley forced McCord's fumble near the Miami goal line and Adebawore fell on the ball in the end zone to make it 21-7.

Zane Gonzalez made a 53-yard field goal to cut the Dolphins' deficit to 21-10, and Miami got within 21-16 on Chris Johnson's 59-yard interception return for a TD — ending Miami’s 46-game stretch without a pick-6 that dated to 2023.

Shane Spencer extended Indy's lead to 24-16 with a 51-yard field goal, and McCord scored on a 3-yard run before his 2-point conversion pass was broken up by A.J. Haulcy to keep the Colts ahead by two.

Dolphins: Miami played without C Aaron Brewer (concussion protocol) and lost DT Zeek Biggers (knee) in the first half. Backup C Andrew Meyer left late in the game with a stinger but returned.

Colts: Indy's offensive line already was short-handed because RT Jalen Travis (knee) was inactive and it got thinner when LT Bernhard Raimann entered the concussion protocol in the first quarter and. He did not return. The bigger concern might be the secondary, which lost All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner with a calf injury and Pro Bowl CB Charvarius Ward (leg) in the third quarter.

Gonzalez was wide left on field goal tries from 47 and 51 yards — the second of which would have given Miami the lead. He also missed an extra point, which forced the Dolphins to go for a 2-point conversion after they got within 24-22. Gonzalez was promoted from the practice squad Friday after making 5 of 7 field goals and all five of his extra point attempts over the previous three games.

Taylor nearly became the fifth Colts player to reach 10,000 yards from scrimmage. He needed 104 yards to join Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Lenny Moore and current receivers coach Reggie Wayne. But he finished with 16 carries for 83 yards and two catches for 20 yards, leaving him with 9,999.

Dolphins: At Buffalo next Sunday.

Colts: Will try to sweep the season series when they visit Houston on Thursday.

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