5 things you need to know about the Dolphins vs. Colts in Week 7

Cue up Kelly Clarkson. Since you've been gone!

That's a tune the Miami Dolphins may have been singing in reference to themselves. Last week, the Buffalo Bills increased their lead in the AFC East by beating the New York Jets, while the New England Patriots were knocked off by the visiting Houston Texans. That means Mike McDaniel's club returns to the field this week all alone in second place with a less-than-scintillating 2-3 mark.

The 'Fins can get back to the .500 mark this week with a victory at Indianapolis. It may be the last game the team is without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, as he is eligible to come off injured reserve next week. First things first, and that's dealing with a very unpredictable 3-3 Colts squad.

All-Time Series Record

There was a time when these clubs met each other twice a year, when the Dolphins and Colts were two of the five teams in the AFC East. Miami owns a 20-game overall advantage in the series standings (48-28). That includes playoff wins in the 1971 AFC title game (21-0), and a 23-17 overtime victory in the 2000 AFC Wild Card Playoffs. The latter marks the last postseason victory by the franchise.

Dating back to realignment in 2002, Indianapolis has prevailed in seven of the 10 meetings. The clubs last met in 2021, a 27-17 Colts victory in South Florida. The Dolphins' last appearance at Indianapolis resulted in a 16-12 win in 2019.

Quarterbacks: Tale of the Tape

Tyler Huntley will make his third consecutive start. He's completed 60.4 percent of his throws for a modest 290 yards. He has yet to throw a touchdown pass and has two of the team's six turnovers. It sounds like a broken record, but Huntley (and McDaniel) have to get the ball downfield. That shouldn't be an issue vs. a Colts defense ranked 26th vs. the pass and a unit riddled by Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence two weeks ago.

Anthony Richardson will return as the Colts' starter on Sunday after missing the previous two games with a hip/oblique issue. "He looked good, man," said Shane Steichen on Friday (via Nate Atkins of the Indy Star). "He was throwing crisp passes. He was great in the pocket. Got out and moving him around, ran a lot. So, he looked really good." Richardson is the Colts' second-leading rusher with 141 yards (1 TD).

Defensive Analysis

Anthony Weaver's unit has drawn some mixed reviews, despite the fact that the Dolphins have allowed the fifth-fewest total yards per game, and only the Tennessee Titans and Jets are allowing fewer yards per game through the air. Miami has allowed a combined 27 points in wins over the Jaguars and Patriots, and 86 points in their three losses. A pass rush that has produced just nine sacks is overdue for a breakout game.

Veteran defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's group is allowing 389.5 yards per outing, the third-highest total in the league, and the Colts are giving up the second-most yards per game on the ground (155.2). The team has allowed 139 points (the same amount the club has scored) and 15 offensive TDs, this despite a respectable dozen sacks and nine takeaways by Steichen's squad. Can Miami avoid mistakes?

Keys to the Game

Dolphins: McDaniel's attack should be able to do some damage vs. a team that has allowed 15 offensive touchdowns in six games. The Dolphins' defense must be wary of what Richardson can do with his legs. Keeping him in the pocket won't be easy, but turning him into a pocket passer may be to Miami's liking. The second-year pro has hit on just 50.6 of his throws and has twice as many picks (6) as TD passes (3).

Colts: Running back Jonathan Taylor leads the team with 349 yards on the ground and four scores, but he could miss his third consecutive game. Miami's limited offense may be able to exploit the disappointing Colts defense if given the opportunity, so Steichen must stick to his guns and let his running game be the focal point against a Dolphins club that is a shaky 18th in the league in rushing yards per game allowed.

Dolphins Player to Watch

While Miami's offense should be able to exploit the Indianapolis secondary downfield, it would be much easier to do that with a complementary ground game. In the 15-10 victory over the Patriots two weeks ago, veteran running back Raheem Mostert returned to the field for the first time since Week 1 vs. the Jaguars. The 'Fins ran for a season-high 193 yards at Foxborough, with a big assist from the 10-year pro.

While Jaylen Wright led the club with 86 yards on the ground, Mostert's 80 yards came on a game-high 19 attempts. The 2023 Pro Bowler was the club's top runner last year with 209 carries and 1,012 yards, and his 21 total TDs (18 rushing, 3 receiving) were tied for the most in the NFL. It's time for a breakout game.