Colts should be on upset alert against Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are terrible. No arguing that. They also have a real chance to go in and beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Indianapolis is a good team, but the warning signs are there. The Colts have been shaky all year in the kicking game, with future Hall of Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri finally looking his age. Indianapolis is also besieged by injures. It will be without quarterback Jacoby Brissett, receivers T.Y. Hilton, Parris Campbell and Devin Funchess, and likely corner Pierre Desir, who is doubtful.

Additionally, the Colts don’t blow anybody out. All of their games have been within a score at the final gun. Their last two games have also been red flags. Two weeks ago, Indianapolis needed extremely conservative play calling from the lowly Denver Broncos to squeak out a 15-13 victory at home. Last week, a comedy of errors led to the Pittsburgh Steelers beating Indianapolis, 26-24.

Now, the Dolphins come to town. Miami is only 1-7, but the arrow is pointing up. There’s no arguing the roster is inferior to Indianapolis’, but quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has long shown to be the ultimate wild card. Fitzpatrick could throw six interceptions as he did in a 2017 game against the Kansas City Chiefs and make this article look ridiculous. He could also look like an MVP candidate as he did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the 2018 season’s first three contests.

Furthermore, the Dolphins have been playing better by the week. Two weeks ago, they nearly went into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers on national television. Last week, they finally won their first game of the season, convincingly bouncing the New York Jets out of South Beach.

Miami is a deserved underdog in this game — 11.5 points to be exact — but the line is too high. The Colts would need to blow the Dolphins out and then avoid the garbage-time stuff. Not an easy task, especially when you’re missing half the offense and the defense doesn’t have a great player across the board. No terrific pass rush. No shutdown corners.

There are a litany of games to be tuned into on Sunday afternoon, and the Dolphins and Colts might seem easy to skip as a foregone conclusion. If nothing else, though, keep your eyes on the bottom line, because a major upset could be brewing late in Naptown.