Colts defeat Dolphins, 18-12

The Indianapolis Colts chances of making the playoffs stayed alive with a win against the Miami Dolphins.

The Colts needed a goal line stand to keep their playoff hopes alive today and big plays from the secondary and defensive line gave them a much need victory. A fourth down sack would end the Dolphins chances at a late game rally as the Colts leave Miami with the 18-12 victory.

Matt Hasselbeck started the day strong, but his afternoon wouldn’t last long. He left just before halftime with a shoulder injury, and wouldn’t return. He completed 8-of-15 attempts for 99 yards.

Charlie Whitehurst would fill in for Hasselbeck and played the role of game manager, save for a few exceptional throws that helped the Colts set up a field goal. He finished the day 9-for-14 for 78 yards.

Frank Gore had one of his best games in a Colts uniform. He had 85 yards on 15 carries and a pair of rushing touchdowns, including one from 37 yards out.

While Gore was strong in the first half with Hasselbeck at the helm, his numbers declined sharply in the second half with the Dolphins stacking the box and daring Whitehurst to beat them with his arm. Gore also didn’t get nearly enough help from his offensive line, and made the most of Miami’s sloppy tackling.

T.Y. Hilton would end up leading the Colts in receiving, hauling in four passes for 64 yards. Hilton was critical of the play-calling earlier in the week saying the Colts needed to take more deep shots. The calls didn’t change too much, but Hilton did step up in his hometown (at least as much as is possible with a second and third string QB).

The Colts got a big performance out of T.Y. McGill this afternoon. He had a first quarter sack in the end zone, resulting in a safety. McGill had his second sack at the start of a potential game winning drive by the Dolphins.

McGill wasn’t the only player to record a sack either as the Colts managed to find something resembling a pass rush. Kendall Langford and Robert Mathis would both record two sacks apiece as well. Mathis had the game ending sack on fourth down, but McGill and Langford were right there with Mathis on the hit.

In other AFC South news, the Texans dominated the Titans to improve to 8-7 and nearly lock up the division title. The Colts have a slim chance, but need an awful lot of help to make the postseason.

Up next, the Colts host the Tennessee Titans to close out the regular season.