INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts hadn't won a game in Week 1 since 2013 — a dozen years — but they couldn't lose on Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins. Not on the day they were honoring late owner Jim Irsay, who they inducted into the team's Ring of Honor after his passing in May at the age of 65.
That motivation is partially responsible for powering the Colts to a smothering 33-8 victory.
At no moment was there a doubt that the Colts were in control, getting a field goal on their opening drive and then scoring points on their six other drives throughout the game.
The game was a masterclass of playcalling for Colts head coach Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, resulting in wide-open spaces offensively and pressure defensively.
FIRST QUARTER
The Colts came out firing on offense, throwing the ball on their first five plays, as rookie tight end Tyler Warren accounted for 43 yards on three catches. A fade thrown too far by quarterback Daniel Jones to Alec Pierce in the low red zone forced a 3rd-and-long, as Jones was then unable to pick up the first down with his feet on the ensuing play and took a big hit from Dolphins defender Matthew Judon. Kicker Spencer Shrader capped the drive with a 24-yard field goal to give the Colts an early 3-0 lead. It was a nine-play drive that covered 62 yards and 4:23.
On the ensuing drive, facing a 3rd-and-8, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa dropped back and delivered an errant pass over the middle that was intercepted by Colts free safety Cam Bynum, giving the Colts the ball at their own 16-yard line after an unnecessary roughness penalty on linebacker Zaire Franklin during the return was added.
SECOND QUARTER
The Colts' second drive of the day cut into the second quarter after a quick first period. While the Colts' initial drive was reliant on the passing game (six of nine plays were throws), the second drive was quite run-heavy, as nine of the 14 plays were runs. Jonathan Taylor powered the drive both on the ground and through the air until Jones threw a well-placed ball to Michael Pittman Jr. down the right sideline for a 27-yard touchdown. Shrader's extra point gave the Colts a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. The drive lasted 14 plays and covered 84 yards and 8:18.
The ensuing drive took just two plays, as Colts slot corner Kenny Moore II blitzed Tagovailoa and got to him for the sack, as Tagovailoa fumbled, which was recovered by former Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who was playing his first game with the Colts.
The Colts made quick work of the next drive, scoring a goal-line touchdown on a Jones run to cap a five-play, 42-yard drive that covered 2:13. The drive was highlighted by 18 and 20-yard receptions by AD Mitchell and Mo Alie-Cox, respectively.
Charvarius Ward left the field holding his left arm and was then looked at in the medical tent before returning a couple of plays later. Nick Cross blasted Tagovailoa for a sack and loss of seven yards. Shortly after, Samson Ebukam got another sack on Tagovailoa, which forced Miami to punt.
The Colts polished off the half with an incredibly long drive of 17 plays, 72 yards, and taking up 6:46. It ended with a 35-yard field goal by Shrader to extend the Colts' lead to 20-0.
HALFTIME CHECK-IN
The Colts held a commanding 20-0 lead at halftime, with all four drives resulting in points: two touchdowns and two field goals. The Dolphins, on the other hand, had just 43 yards of offense on 15 plays, and were 1-of-3 on third downs. The Colts' defense had three sacks and forced two turnovers in the first half.
THIRD QUARTER
On the opening drive of the half, the Dolphins built a little momentum, but on 3rd-and-3 at the Colts' 49-yard line, Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu dropped into coverage and intercepted Tagovailoa for the Colts' third takeaway of the day. The play was an example of Latu's athleticism as he had to adjust for the ball. He had a similar play in practice recently as well.
The Colts narrowly missed a touchdown on the following drive, as a defender got tangled up with Warren on 3rd-and-9, but no penalty was called. The Colts settled for another Shrader field goal from 28 yards to extend the Colts' lead to 23-0. The highlight of the drive was an impressive toe-drag catch by Alec Pierce along the left sideline, reeling in a 36-yard reception.
The Colts forced a turnover on downs on the Dolphins' ensuing drive, putting pressure on Tagovailoa and causing a high throw on 4th-and-6 from Indy's 31-yard line.
Facing 1st-and-30 after a pair of holding penalties, the Colts offense were gifted an automatic first down when Miami was called for a five-yard holding penalty.
FOURTH QUARTER
Another long Colts drive continued into the following quarter. Dulin took a jet sweep 15 yards to the one-yard line. Two plays later, Jones powered through for his second goal-line touchdown of the day. Shrader's extra point gave the Colts a 30-0 lead.
The Dolphins offense finally came to life on the ensuing drive. A penalty for 12 men in the huddle threatened the series, but Tagovailoa found running back De'Von Achane on fourth down from the Colts' 11-yard line for a catch-and-run score in which Achane barreled over Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward at the goal line. Tagovailoa then found tight end Julian Hill in the end zone for the two-point conversion to cut the Colts' lead to 30-8, with 6:21 remaining in the game.
The Dolphins attempted an onside kick on the following kickoff, which was recovered by Moore. On 3rd-and-4, Jones found Warren for his seventh catch of the day, as Warren redirected and picked up the first down and more. The Colts finished off the drive, yet again, with points, as Shrader converted a 48-yard field goal to extend the lead to 33-8, with 2:23 remaining in the game.
The Dolphins couldn't make enough of their final drive of the game, running out of time as the clock hit zeros.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.