September 7, 2025 | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis | Attendance: 64,065 | CBS
Daniel Jones was supposed to be the question mark walking into Week 1. He ended up being the answer. The Indianapolis Colts handled the Miami Dolphins 33-8 on opening day, snapping an 11-game Week 1 losing streak — the longest active in the NFL — and posting their first 1-0 start since 2013. The full Colts vs Dolphins player stats from that afternoon tell a story of total control on one side and self-destruction on the other.
Table of Contents
How the Scoring Unfolded
| Quarter | Time | Score | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10:37 | IND 3–0 | Spencer Shrader 24-yd FG (9 plays, 62 yds) |
| Q2 | 14:54 | IND 10–0 | Michael Pittman Jr. 27-yd TD catch from Jones (14 plays, 84 yds) |
| Q2 | 12:01 | IND 17–0 | Daniel Jones 1-yd rush TD (5 plays, 42 yds) |
| Q2 | 0:00 | IND 20–0 | Shrader 35-yd FG (17 plays, 72 yds) |
| Q3 | 7:30 | IND 23–0 | Shrader 28-yd FG (7 plays, 48 yds) |
| Q4 | 10:14 | IND 30–0 | Daniel Jones 1-yd rush TD (15 plays, 69 yds) |
| Q4 | 6:21 | IND 30–8 | De’Von Achane 11-yd TD catch + Tua 2-pt pass to Julian Hill |
| Q4 | 2:23 | IND 33–8 | Shrader 48-yd FG (7 plays, 21 yds) |
Indianapolis scored on all seven offensive possessions. Miami did not reach the red zone until 6:21 remained in the fourth quarter, trailing 30-0.
Daniel Jones, Start to Finish
Jones beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job roughly three weeks before this game. His first Colts start produced 22 completions on 29 attempts, 272 yards, one touchdown pass, zero interceptions, one sack, and two rushing touchdowns. He finished with a 115.9 passer rating and posted a career-high 197 passing yards in the first half alone.
“It felt good to get a win, for sure. I think we played well as a team. It’s a good start. But I think everyone on our team is mature enough to know we have to continue to grow and improve.” — Daniel Jones
It was his first win as a starting quarterback since October 6, 2024, with the New York Giants.
Indianapolis Colts — Full Offensive Box Score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | YPA | TD | INT | SACKS | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Jones | 22/29 | 272 | 9.4 | 1 | 0 | 1-10 | 115.9 |
| Team | 22/29 | 272 | 9.4 | 1 | 0 | 1-10 | — |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | 18 | 71 | 3.9 | 0 | 15 |
| DJ Giddens | 12 | 41 | 3.4 | 0 | 12 |
| Daniel Jones | 7 | 26 | 3.7 | 2 | 11 |
| Ashton Dulin | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 |
| Tyler Warren | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ulysses Bentley IV | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | 40 | 156 | 3.9 | 2 | 15 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Pittman Jr. | 6 | 8 | 80 | 13.3 | 1 | 27 | 25 |
| Tyler Warren | 7 | 9 | 76 | 10.9 | 0 | 21 | 37 |
| Alec Pierce | 1 | 3 | 36 | 36.0 | 0 | 36 | 2 |
| Jonathan Taylor | 3 | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 0 | 16 | 30 |
| Adonai Mitchell | 2 | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Mo Alie-Cox | 1 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 20 | 18 |
| Josh Downs | 2 | 3 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Team | 22 | 29 | 272 | 12.4 | 1 | 36 | — |
Rookie tight end Tyler Warren drew the most targets on the field with 9 and finished with 7 receptions for 76 yards. PFF issued him an initial grade of 91.0 — the top mark on either side.
Kicking
| Player | FG | PCT | LONG | XP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Shrader | 4/4 | 100% | 48 | 3/3 | 15 |
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins Offense
Miami’s day fell apart early and stayed that way. Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions, was sacked three times, and lost a fumble. The Dolphins finished with 43 total yards in the first half — the same number of plays the Colts ran in that span.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for eight catches and 70 yards with no touchdowns. Miami’s red zone never materialized: their lone scoring drive came on 4th-and-goal from the Colts’ 11 with 6:21 left, Achane catching an 11-yard screen pass, Tua converting the 2-point attempt to Julian Hill to make it 30-8.
“When you lose the turnover game (minus-3), turn the ball over on downs, run into the kicker, have 12 guys in the huddle, and only have 20 minutes with the ball in your possession — that’s a formula for failure and nothing else.” — Mike McDaniel, Dolphins head coach
Miami Dolphins — Full Offensive Box Score
Passing
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | YPA | TD | INT | SACKS | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tua Tagovailoa | 14/23 | 114 | 5.0 | 1 | 2 | 3-13 | 51.7 |
| Zach Wilson | 5/8 | 32 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 70.8 |
| Team | 19/31 | 133 | 4.7 | 1 | 2 | 3-13 | — |
Rushing
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De’Von Achane | 7 | 55 | 7.9 | 0 | 26 |
| Malik Washington | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Ollie Gordon II | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Zach Wilson | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Team | 12 | 78 | 6.5 | 0 | 26 |
Receiving
| Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyreek Hill | 4 | 6 | 40 | 10.0 | 0 | 21 | 6 |
| Jaylen Waddle | 4 | 5 | 30 | 7.5 | 0 | 16 | 11 |
| De’Von Achane | 3 | 4 | 20 | 6.7 | 1 | 11 | 26 |
| Tanner Conner | 2 | 4 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| Malik Washington | 2 | 5 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 11 | 28 |
| D’Wayne Eskridge | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Alec Ingold | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ollie Gordon II | 1 | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | -1 | 5 |
| Team | 19 | 31 | 133 | — | 1 | 21 | — |
Fumbles
| Player | FUM | LOST |
|---|---|---|
| Tua Tagovailoa | 1 | 1 |
Team Stats Side by Side
| Stat | Miami | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 211 | 418 |
| Passing Yards | 133 | 262 |
| Rushing Yards | 78 | 156 |
| Total Plays | 46 | 71 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.6 | 6.0 |
| 1st Downs | 12 | 27 |
| 3rd Down | 5/10 (50%) | 7/15 (47%) |
| 4th Down | 1/2 | 3/3 |
| Red Zone | 1/1 | 3/6 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Possession | 21:17 | 38:43 |
| Penalties | 3 for 15 yds | 4 for 45 yds |
| Avg Yards/Drive | 25.9 | 51.6 |
| Avg Points/Drive | 0.8 | 4.1 |
| Explosive Passes (15+) | 2 (37 yds) | 8 (168 yds) |
| Explosive Runs (10+) | 2 (41 yds) | 5 (71 yds) |
Colts Defense: One Play from a Shutout
New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo came within 6 minutes and 21 seconds of Indianapolis’ first shutout since December 2021. Two interceptions, one forced fumble recovery, and three sacks defined the afternoon.
Key defensive performers:
- Cam Bynum (S): 1 INT, 14 return yards; 2 PBUs
- Laiatu Latu (ED): 1 INT, 6 return yards; PFF grade 90.1
- Xavien Howard (CB): Fumble recovery against his former team
- Kenny Moore II (CB): 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
- Samson Ebukam (ED): 4 total pressures, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 2 hurries
Indianapolis Defense
| Player | TOT | SOLO | SACKS | TFL | PD | QB HTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Cross | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Charvarius Ward | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Bachie | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenny Moore II | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Zaire Franklin | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rodney Thomas II | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Bynum | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DeForest Buckner | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Samson Ebukam | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Laiatu Latu | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kwity Paye | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | 52 | 28 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Miami Defense
| Player | TOT | SOLO | SACKS | TFL | PD | QB HTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Brooks | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | 13 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ifeatu Melifonwu | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Phillips | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Grant | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley Chubb | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jason Marshall Jr. | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rasul Douglas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Team | 82 | 47 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Indianapolis Interceptions
| Player | INT | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Bynum | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Laiatu Latu | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Team | 2 | 20 | 0 |
Special Teams
Kick Returns
| Team | Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | D’Wayne Eskridge | 4 | 109 | 27.3 | 38 | 0 |
| Miami | Malik Washington | 3 | 60 | 20.0 | 27 | 0 |
| Miami Team | 7 | 169 | 24.1 | 38 | 0 | |
| Indianapolis | Ashton Dulin | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 27 | 0 |
Punting
| Team | Player | NO | YDS | AVG | TB | IN 20 | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | Jake Bailey | 1 | 42 | 42.0 | 0 | 1 | 42 |
| Indianapolis | — | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
Indianapolis did not punt once.
Injuries
Miami: RG James Daniels (pectoral) left on the third offensive play and was ruled out. CB Storm Duck was carted off with a left ankle injury late in the second quarter and ruled out.
Indianapolis: CB Jaylon Jones suffered a non-contact left hamstring injury in the second quarter and did not return. RB Jonathan Taylor was limited in the fourth quarter; head coach Shane Steichen said he was fine post-game.
What the Numbers Said
Three turnovers, 21 minutes of possession, 43 first-half yards. The Miami Dolphins vs Indianapolis Colts stats from Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season read like a blueprint of what not to do. On the other side, Jones went 22-of-29, the Colts converted all three of their fourth-down attempts, and Indianapolis scored on every single possession they had. The gap between 211 total yards and 418 total yards is not close. Neither was the scoreboard.
