On Sunday, September 7, 2025, the Miami Dolphins will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium and take on our very own Indianapolis Colts. This game is a crucial one for the Colts to win, not only because it would improve their record and start the season off strong, but because it would break a curse eleven years in the making for the organization.
The last time that the Colts won a game to open their season, the year was in 2013. That game was against the Raiders, and in it, Andrew Luck led the team to a victory. The recipient of the first touchdown of that game? Reggie Wayne. Feel old yet? In fact, oddly enough, the team that the 2013 Colts played in week two of their season is the same team they'll face to open the year in 2025
Though Luck failed to triumph over Ryan Tannehill's Miami Dolphins back in 2013, Daniel Jones will have his own opportunity to restore justice to the football universe and score a victory against one Tua Tagovailoa.
3 keys for the Indianapolis Colts to take Week 1 versus the Miami Dolphins
It won't be easy, but if the Colts are able to kick this curse, it might provide a boost in morale and culture that could reap benefits for the team throughout the whole year. So, let's look at the biggest keys to taking down this Miami Dolphins team.
Key No. 1: Hit Tua Tagovailoa often and early
Not many quarterbacks in the league are more polarizing than Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. His biggest supporters believe that when he is healthy, he is a top ten quarterback, while the most vocal detractors believe the oft-injured quarterback doesn't even crack the top twenty.
Regardless, the fact is that since head coach Mike McDaniel has joined the organization, when Tua is on the field they Dolphins have one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
However, it is definitely not an offense that is unbeatable. The key to their air attack working is timing and getting the ball out quickly. The best way to beat that? Physicality. If the defensive line for the Colts can get into the backfield of the Dolphins' offense quickly and disrupt Tagovailoa's rhythm and timing, then the offense will be greatly hindered.
The way to combat this strategy from the Dolphins' side is to establish a dominant run game, something the team did in 2023 when its offense was humming (70 points, anyone?). However, last year their run game was abysmal. If the Colts can get in Tua's face consistently and keep the potentially explosive run game of De'von Achane bottled up, the Dolphins will be facing a tough day.
Key No. 2: Attack the cornerbacks
The Indianapolis Colts' offensive bread and butter, ever since Jonathan Taylor joined the team, has been their strong run game. Unfortunately, that is where the Miami Dolphins' defensive strength primarily lies. They feature a deep and talented front seven that includes Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Chop Robinson, Zach Sieler, Matthew Judon, and newly drafted first-rounder Kenneth Grant.
Luckily for the Colts, there comes a price that a team has to pay to have such a strong defensive line. The Miami Dolphins have one of the worst cornerback units in the entire league. Their CB1 position is a race between newly signed Jack Jones and second-year UDFA Storm Duck, for crying out loud.
If Daniel Jones is able to get the ball out to his playmakers consistently and quickly, they could carve up this lopsided defense.
Look for Michael Pittman, Tyler Warren, and (hopefully) Adonai Mitchell to feast on one of the worst secondary units in the league. The Dolphins do have far more talent at safety than cornerback (see Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jalen Ramsey swap), but the individual matchups of receiver to corner are massively lopsided in the Colts' favor.
Key No. 3: Be physical with the Dolphins receivers
The Miami Dolphins of recent years have featured some high-flying offenses, but by far the most dangerous weapon in their arsenal is Tyreek Hill. He did have a down year in 2024, but the man is also one year removed from being voted the best player in the entire National Football League by his peers. The Colts would be wise to game plan for him.
As mentioned in the first section, the Dolphins' offense is one that is based on timing and rhythm. One key to disrupting that connection is to get in the quarterback's face, something that Deforest Buckner and Co. will likely sell out to do. The other way to break up a timing-based offense is to mess up the timing of the receivers.
Tua Tagovailoa is a quarterback who throws with a lot of anticipation. This means he has to trust his receivers to be in the place he expects them to be far before they're actually there.
If the Colts' cornerback unit is able to be physical with those receivers (which shouldn't be too difficult considering how small Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both are in stature), then they can keep that highly vaunted duo from being where Tagovailoa actually throws the ball on the field.
This can result in some throws that may seem downright head-scratching, and if no receiver is there to catch the ball, it's likely that a Colts defender will be in the area to snag a game-changing interception. In fact, if the Colts were able to be physical with the Dolphins' speedy receivers, it would be almost shocking if their defense didn't come out with at least one turnover.
The Indianapolis Colts are not a team that the national media considers a contender. However, neither are the Miami Dolphins. Anything can happen on any given Sunday, but if the Colts are able to execute on these three key factors, they should be all but assured a victory in their first season opener since 2013.
Keep those fingers crossed, avoid stepping on any cracks, and maybe even throw some salt over your shoulders, Colts fans. With any luck, by the time the final whistle sounds for their week one game against the Dolphins, the Colts will have broken a curse that has gone on for over a decade.