NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 4 Game Recap: Indianapolis Colts 27, Miami Dolphins 17

Jonathan Taylor (28) and teammates pose for photographers’ lenses after his touchdown at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, during first half Miami vs. Indianapolis action. 100321 Coltsmiami 021 Jw

The Indianapolis Colts are off the schneid after a 27-17 win over the Miami Dolphins, who have lost three straight after opening the season with a win. Carson Wentz finally got his first win as the Colts' starting quarterback, going 24-for-32 for 228 yards and a couple touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor paced the Colts with 103 yards on only 16 carries.


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The Dolphins could not get anything going down the field with only 35 total rushing yards on 2.2 yards per carry. Miami has the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers next, while the Colts have a Monday night matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Indianapolis Colts

Quarterback

Wentz had a nice day even when pressured, completing 8-of-9 passes even though he was sacked twice. When kept clean, he moved the ball efficiently, throwing for 7.8 yards per attempt and finishing with a 121.0 quarterback rating.

Carson Wentz
Completions Attempts Yards TD:INT
Kept Clean 16 23 180 2:0
Under Pressure 8 9 48 0:0
Running Backs

Taylor racked up 66% of his yard after contact, and a quarter of his rushes gained a first down or touchdown. Taylor also caught all three of his targets for 11 yards. 

Receivers

Michael Pittman was the main target for Wentz with six catches on eight targets for 59 yards. The most efficient receiver for the Colts was tight end Mo Alie-Cox who caught three passes for 42 and a pair of touchdowns on only 16 pass-catching snaps. 

Offensive Line

The Colts could have definitely used the services of guard Quenton Nelson, who was out. The offensive line allowed 15 total pressures with Eric Fisher and Chris Reed each allowing four pressures.

Defensive Line

DeForest Buckner led the line with three pressures, but Kemoko Turay tallied the two sacks for the Colts. Isaac Rochell was a monster off the bench in the run game with three defensive stops on only four run-defense snaps.

Linebackers

Darius Leonard also had three defensive stops in the run game and only allowed two catches for nine yards in his coverage. His partner Bobby Okereke allowed five catches but for a paltry 18 yards. 

Secondary

Safety Andrew Sendejo was targeted three times but didn’t allow a catch in coverage. Xavier Rhodes was the only player to allow more than one catch from the Colts secondary — just 15 yards.

Miami Dolphins

Quarterback

Jacoby Brissett had a rough outing with four turnover-worthy throws even though none ended up being intercepted. His box score stats — 20-for-30 for 199 yards a two touchdowns — don’t really capture his game. 

Running Backs

The Dolphins could not get anything going on the ground. Malcolm Brown was the team's leading rusher with just 23 yards on eight carries. The Dolphins didn’t have a handoff that went for a first down the whole game.

Receivers

DeVante Parker was targeted the most on the team with nine. He caught four for 77 yards. Parker, alongside Mike Gesicki, were the only team pass-catchers with over 2.0 yards per route run. Parker was at 2.41 and Gesicki at 2.19.

Offensive Line

Dolphins running backs ran continuously into a brick wall. They were contacted on average -0.2 yards behind the line of scrimmage. In pass protection, Austin Jackson was the weak link, allowing five pressures. 

Sacks Allowed Pressures Allowed
Austin Jackson 0 5
Robert Hunt 0 1
Liam Eichenberg 2 3
Greg Mancz 0 0
Jesse Davis 0 2
Defensive Line

Rookie Jaelan Phillips had six pressures and a 33% pass-rush win rate. The defensive line had 17 stops in the run game, with John Jenkins leading the way with five.

Linebackers

Elandon Roberts was targeted twice and allowed 34 yards in coverage, while Jerome Baker allowed two catches for just 13 yards and forced an incompletion on his other target. 

Secondary

Eric Rowe was singled out in coverage by the Colts but only allowed 24 yards on the six catches he allowed. Byron Jones and Nik Needham each had a forced incompletion.

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