Indianapolis Colts trail the Miami Dolphins in ugly first half

Anthony Richardson came to play on Sunday without his signature locs... and that's about the only highlight of a slow, miserable first half for the Indianapolis Colts as they take on the Miami Dolphins. And while star players like Richardson and wide receiver Alec Pierce were able to play, one of the best players on the roster -- Jonathan Taylor -- remains injured. And so far in this game, his presence has been sorely missed.

The Colts didn't manage to get on the board at all in the first quarter, and the first few drives saw the Colts and Dolphins swapping three-and-outs for a dull start to the game. The Dolphins were able to get a touchdown, and for a while, it seemed like the Colts would be able to respond in kind.

Though Richardson wasn't able to be productive with passing, repeatedly missing his receivers, he was able to show off his athletic prowess, running for over 30 yards in the first quarter alone. Unfortunately, a brilliant pass from Richardson to Pierce, which would have landed the Colts on the one-yard line, was erased with dueling penalties from both teams.

Still, the Colts were able to continue to drive into the end zone, only for a bad snap to lead to a fumble from Richardson, which was recovered by the Dolphins.

In the second quarter, the Dolphins capitalized on that turnover, driving down the field, but despite keeping possession for half the quarter, they were riddled with penalties and were ultimately unable to score. The Dolphins racked up an incredible eight flags in 24 minutes.

The Colts also lost another linebacker early in the second quarter, a huge blow as they're already missing EJ Speed. Jaylon Carlies left the field with a calf injury, and the Colts later tweeted that he would not be returning do to an ankle injury.

After the Colts got the ball again, Richardson ran again to come close to a first down, but at 4th and 3, they took a delay of game and punted it off to the Dolphins again. After a long drive, they managed to get a field goal, making it a 10-0 game.

The Colts got the ball back with less than 30 seconds to go, and Richardson got the ball right to Pierce... who let the ball sail through his hands. Richardson recovered quickly, though, with a 33-yard completion to Michael Pittman, Jr., with just nine seconds left to go. Fortunately, they were able to get into field goal range, and kicker Matt Gay was able to narrow the gap with a field goal.

At the half, the Dolphins lead 10-3.