The Indianapolis Colts take on the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. And while the Colts sport a new defense with a revamped secondary under new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, they could find themselves in a familiar situation. Getting torched by an explosive receiver.
Tyreek Hill is still a force to be reckoned with. He may be aging by NFL standards, but he continues to display superior speed and the ability to create big plays. Hill reached a top speed of 22.01 miles per hour during the 2024 season, down from his NFL record 23.24 mph during the 2016 season. But that's still blazing speed.
Elite playmakers such as Hill can give any defense fits, let alone a defense still figuring out who they are. He can make defenders miss tackles. His ability to create plays after the catch on short, dump-off pass plays is the stuff of nightmares. And don't get me started on the aforementioned speed to open up the deep pass.
One Miami Dolphins player could wreck the Indianapolis Colts' 2025 opener
Colts fans have reason to be wary of how fast coach Anarumo can get the defense to be one of the top defenses in the league. The Indianapolis defense allowed opposing QBs to complete 69.4 percent of their passes in 2024. Tied for second-highest percentage allowed with the New York Giants, and behind only the Atlanta Falcons (69.9 percent).
Anarumo came from Cincinnati, where there have been annual grumblings about the defense in recent years. So much so that QB Joe Burrow was famously roasted about it by Snoop Dogg during the NFL Honors program in February, but we can't discount the fact that Cincinnati reached a Super Bowl and AFC Championship game in back-to-back seasons under his defensive charge.
There is hope that this Colts defense can keep Hill in check in Week 1. He played against the Anarumo-led Cincinnati defense twice while coach Lou was there, and both times he was held in check. Both times, Hill was held to single-digit catch totals and less than 100 yards receiving.
Can the 2025 version of the Indianapolis Colts defense do the same? We shall soon find out. What is certain is that if the Colts allow Tyreek Hill to be the playmaker he is known to be, he could do more than wreck just the opening game of the season for the team and its fans.