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Colts 16-10 Dolphins (October 20, 2024) Game Recap
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Colts 16-10 Dolphins (October 20, 2024) Game Recap

INDIANAPOLIS — — Anthony Richardson didn’t even bother to look at the stats on Sunday.

All he cared about was winning.

After missing nearly three full games with an injured right hip, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback returned to action, taking advantage of Tyler Goodson’s first NFL touchdown and leading the Colts to two field goals in the fourth quarter to rally past the Miami Dolphins 16- 10 to come.

“We expected to come into this game and get the win, that was our whole mentality,” Richardson said. “It makes me feel good that we got the ‘W,’ even though the offense had some trouble finding consistency.”

It was more than a little.

Whether it was rust, the Dolphins’ stingy defense or a combination of both, Richardson went just 10 of 24 with 129 yards through the air and rushed 14 times for 56 yards on a day when the Colts (4-3) producing just 284 yards and one touchdown, Goodson’s 7-yard run to tie the score at 10 early in the third quarter.

Still, Indy managed to take the lead on Matt Gay’s 22-yard field goal with 8:41 left, extended the lead on Gay’s 38-yarder with 1:51 to go and got a fourth down stop at the Indianapolis 33-yard line to seals his fourth win in five weeks. The Colts have won three straight home games to come within one of AFC South leader Houston (5-2).

“Obviously we want to finish down there with touchdowns,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “We have to be better, I have to be better (in terms of play calling), but we found a way to win the game.” And that’s what matters.”

Miami (2-4) once again couldn’t overcome its abuses, losing another quarterback, Tyler Huntley, to injury in the third quarter. Huntley did not return and Tim Boyle finished the match.

Huntley was 7 of 13 with 87 yards, one touchdown and ran five times for 20 yards before leaving midway through the third quarter after hurting his throwing shoulder.

Boyle was 8 of 13 with 74 yards and while Devon Achane had 15 carries for 77 yards and Jonnu Smith caught seven passes for 96 yards and the Dolphins’ only touchdown, Tyreek Hill had just one catch for 8 yards and Jaylen Waddle just one pass for 11 yards.

The NFL’s lowest-scoring team knows Hill and Waddle need to be more involved.

“They were phenomenal the whole game. They’ve taken a comprehensive look at their role,” coach Mike McDaniel said after losing for the fourth time in five weeks. “If you run the ball 40 times, your chances are minimized.”

And yet, the Dolphins still had a chance to tie the score on a 54-yard field goal with 5:14 remaining. But Jason Sanders’ kick clattered off the post, leaving the Dolphins trailing 13-10.

Miami and Indy combined for just one score in the first 29 minutes: Huntley’s 10-yard TD pass to Smith on third-and-goal midway through the first quarter.

Sanders made a 33-yard field goal with 22 seconds left in the first half and Gay matched it with a 52-yarder on the final play of the second quarter to get the Colts within 10–3.

Not much changed in the second half.

Indy converted Raheem Mostert’s fumble into Goodson’s TD run with 9:08 left in the third quarter and it stayed that way until Indy converted Alec Ingold’s fumble into the second of Gay’s three field goals with 8 left :41 left in the match.

“My team has to trust me to just go out there and play and just do what I do,” said Richardson, who had a new haircut for his return. “It’s just about continuing to do me, continuing to do what I’m doing, even though I struggled a little bit in the first half and a little bit in the second half. They still trusted me to call plays and make some would make plays.”

Clark honored

Former tight end Dallas Clark became the newest member of the Colts Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. His name and the years he played, 2003-11, now appear above the south end zone.

Clark played 11 seasons in the NFL, the first nine with Indy after the Colts drafted him in the first round. He finished his Colts career with 649 receptions, 4,887 yards, 46 TDs, two Super Bowl appearances and one All-Pro selection. Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James were among those in attendance.

Rough start

The Colts planned to leave the retractable roof and north end zone window open on a warm, sunny day. But mechanical problems forced the team to keep the roof closed.

“Roof closed due to operational issues,” team owner Jim Irsay posted on Twitter before the game. “Very disappointing. Apologies to our fans.”

Next

Dolphins: Host Arizona next Sunday.

Colts: Begin a two-game road trip next Sunday in Houston.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl