The Indianapolis Colts got off to a spectacular start in the 2025 season, dismantling the Miami Dolphins 33-8 on Sunday. Do you remember the last time the Colts held a team to single digits? Yeah, neither do I. But I looked it up. Week 10, 2023 – that 10-6 thriller over the Pats. The one that was so ugly they had to play it on a different continent.
Well, this one wasn’t the least bit ugly. Indy soared in virtually every area. It was a thoroughly dominant performance. If you were surprised by how well Daniel Jones and the offense performed, you should remember that this Dolphins defense is seriously underequipped, especially in the secondary.
But the Dolphins still have some genuine talent on offense. De’Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle are still three-fourths of a pretty formidable 4X100 relay who just two years ago accounted for almost 4,000 yards of total offense and combined to score 28 touchdowns. On Sunday, they combined to gain 145 yards.
Welcome to Indy, Cam Bynum.
Colts new free safety helps solidify the back end of the defense
To be sure, Cam Bynum wasn’t the only Colt defender who came up big in Week 1. Plenty of players, both new and old, had a major impact.
But Bynum was particularly notable because he helped address what had been a weakness. Indy finished 29th out of 32 teams last season in net yards per pass attempt. They gave an average of 6.7 yards every time an opposing QB dropped back to throw the ball. Against Miami, they very nearly halved that number, dropping it to an excellent 3.5 yards-per-attempt.
In 2024, Julian Blackmon played free safety. Everyone acknowledges that Blackmon is a talented player whose injury struggles had a negative impact on his time in Indianapolis. It led to a position change, causing him to drop into a deeper free safety role, which was not his strong suit.
Cam Bynum is a genuine deep safety. He played the last several seasons under Vikings' defensive coordinator Brian Flores, one of the acknowledged masters of the craft. He was a sure tackler coming up from his deep position to keep runs from breaking big and a decent ball hawk in classic cover one or two schemes.
That’s exactly what he did on Sunday against the Dolphins. He didn’t have to make too many tackles because the Colts' front seven controlled much of the game, but when a back looked like he was breaking free, Bynum was there to shut him down.
And he was very solid against the pass.
Miami gained just 146 yards through the air. Their longest completion went for 21 yards. On the first Dolphins' drive, Bynum set the tone for the game when he snagged a deep ball intended for Tyreek Hill. It set up the Colts' first touchdown, and they never looked back.
This is exactly what Chris Ballard envisioned when he inked Bynum to a four-year, $60 million deal this offseason. They viewed him as a durable, ascending player who was solid against both the pass and the run. At 27 years old, he should be just entering his prime.
If his first game in an Indy uniform was any indication, they appear to have a made a very wise move.