The Dolphins will face the Colts without TE Darren Waller, who suffered a setback with his hip injury and was ruled out Friday. The Dolphins In Depth podcast breaks down how his absence could impact Miami and more. By Pierre Taylor
The stakes for the 2025 Miami Dolphins cannot be higher.
After two trips to the playoffs to open his coaching career, coach Mike McDaniel enters Sunday fresh off his first sub-.500 season. Significant roster turnover and a pivot to younger players has the national media overwhelmingly down on the Dolphins. A 25-year playoff win drought that looms over the franchise doesn’t make the spotlight any dimmer.
Luckily, McDaniel — and several key Dolphin players — know a little something something about getting off to a good start.
“The key is never thinking about that,” said McDaniel who’s undefeated in season openers at 3-0. “You think about the team you have and there are a lot of decisions you have to make that lead up to the first game and I like that fact is in our favor so to speak, but I also don’t think anything that has happened before matters to this team.”
The road to the playoffs begins Sunday in Indianapolis against the Colts, a team that bested them 16-10 in Lucas Oil Stadium nearly a year ago. Time, however, has brought about several changes for the Colts. A quarterback battle between former top-10 picks led to Daniel Jones taking over under center. Additions of Pro Bowl cornerback Charvarius Ward and Tyler Warren, potentially the best tight end of the 2025 draft class, also look to bolster both sides of the ball.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson (44) battles Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith (72) at the line of scrimmage in the second half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday, October 20, 2024. The same teams open the 2025 season there this Sunday. Al Diaz adiaz@miamiherald.com
So as much as this matchup can be seen as a chance at retribution, the amount of change on both sides makes Sunday a game of its own.
“I wouldn’t say this is a revenge game at all,” said Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed the 2024 loss to the Colts with a concussion. “You’ve got to look at their coaching staff – different defensive coordinator, some of the players are different as well that they acquired. So what they’re doing defensively is going to be different than what we’d seen last year with the Colts, so I don’t look at any of those games as a revenge game, or I need to do something special this game.”
Tagovailoa is no stranger to good starts, as well. The Pro Bowl quarterback enters his sixth season a perfect 4-0 as a starter in opening games. And despite murmurs about a fractured relationship between him and star wideout Tyreek Hill, he too has reason to be confident ahead of Sunday.
“We’ve worked on it, and I think that conversation is dead now,” Tagovailoa said. “I think once people see Tyreek score on Sunday, everyone will forget about that. We’re in a good spot and we’ve been in a good spot for some time.”
That’s because Hill has never started with a loss in his NFL career. The All-Pro receiver not only has a 9-0 record in season openers but has averaged about seven catches for 112 yards receiving in his first game. Shrink the parameters to just his time in Miami and that number jumps up to nearly nine catches for just under 150 yards and a touchdown.
Hill has also had his fair share of memorable moments. He had 11 catches, for 215 yards and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers to open the 2023 season. Or his seven catches, for 169 yards and two touchdowns versus the Chargers in 2018. Or even his seven-catch, 130-yard and one touchdown game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 — all of which occurred after Miami-Dade police detained him outside Hard Rock Stadium.
“I don’t know, the coaches just do a good job,” Hill said of his hot starts. “We have great offensive coaches here and the O-line, they do a really good job of protecting Tua. I guess I’m just the lucky one to be on the other side of making those plays, so like I said, I’m very grateful. Never going to take it for granted. I’m going to continue to work, and hopefully I have another big game, who knows.”
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley (18) hands off to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) in the first half against the Indianapolis Colts during an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday, October 20, 2024. Al Diaz / Miami Herald Staff adiaz@miamiherald.com
Regardless of the reasoning, there’s just something positive about the success of arguably the franchise’s three most important people. Now the Colts, who haven’t won a season opener since 2013, won’t just see those numbers and lay down. As McDaniel said, the Dolphins will have to earn that victory.
And as always the case in the NFL, it ultimately will come down to preparation.
“The biggest thing in Week 1 is that there is so much going on,” McDaniel said, listing all the work that has been done ahead of Sunday. Whatever team can ignore all the outside noise and focus on their process in order to get “in the groove of playing football together” will ultimately have the edge. “That’s the biggest key.”