Knee-jerk reactions: The Colts come from behind to win and move to 4-3 after a 16-10 victory over the Dolphins

The Indianapolis Colts earned their second straight win on Sunday, defeating the Miami Dolphins 16-10 to move to 4-3 in the 2024 season. Indianapolis now awaits a big AFC South showdown against the Houston Texans, with the winner taking the lead in the division. Here's what stood out most after Sunday's game.

THE COLTS DEFENSE TAKES IMPORTANT CONCLUSIONS, BLOCKING OUT THE DOLPHINS IN THE SECOND HALF FOR A 16-10 WIN

The Colts offense had a lot of trouble against Miami's defense on Sunday and couldn't muster any consistency in the first half. With them down 10-3 and needing to find a way to get back into the game, it was linebacker Segun Olubi who made perhaps the game-winning play, forcing a game-winning fumble. Olubi's forced fumble and return inside the Miami 30-yard line flipped field position and allowed the Colts to capitalize on the takeaway with a touchdown, tying the game at 10.

Olubi wasn't the only Colts linebacker who had a big impact on Sunday's win, as Grant Stuard, filling in for the injured EJ Speed, finished the game with 19 total tackles (11 solo) and one tackle for loss. Stuart also assisted teammate Zaire Franklin on another forced fumble. Franklin finished the game with 16 total tackles (11 solo), one tackle-for-loss and the forced fumble. Franklin's punchout led the Dolphins to score deep in Indianapolis territory, sparking another reversal in the Colts' momentum.

Yes, the Colts' rush defense struggled against a talented group of Miami rushers, but they did just enough to contribute to the win on Sunday despite allowing 161 rushing yards and an average of 10.7 yards per carry. Thanks to the aforementioned turnovers, the Indianapolis defense managed a shutout in the second half. On the other hand, the Dolphins' top wideouts, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, had a total of two catches for 19 yards. Granted, the Dolphins were dealing with two backup players in Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle, but the Indianapolis defense did its job against two of the league's best at their respective positions.

COLTS' OFFENSE STRUGGLES IN ANTHONY RICHARDSON'S RETURN TO IN-GAME ACTION

At the end of the day, the Colts will get a win over the Dolphins. But what can't be ignored are their offensive struggles with the return of quarterback Anthony Richardson. Perhaps the only bright spot for Indy's offense on Sunday was the 155 rushing yards they put up in their attempt to win. Richardson's legs provided a much-needed spark to the Colts' ground game, which has struggled the past two weeks without star running back Jonathan Taylor. However, Richardson missed his fair share of errors as a passer. The second-year quarterback finished Sunday with a 10-of-24 performance for 129 passing yards and 14 carries for 56 rushing yards.

By far the biggest difference for Richardson was his numbers through the air in the first and second half. Richardson started 5 of 18 and, despite an overall poor performance through the air, finished the game 5 of 6 for 65 yards, which included some key completions that helped the Colts offense capitalize with two Matt Gay field goals. One of the most underrated plays of Sunday's win was Richardson's long finish to Michael Pittman Jr. late in the first half. A Matt Gay field goal cut Miami's lead to just seven (10-3) instead of Indy trailing by 10. Those three field goals by Gay ultimately contributed to Indianapolis' six-point win.

Richardson has struggled scoring this season, but the Colts have also seen the strengths of their second-year quarterback. Sunday was a far cry from what Indianapolis expects from the No. 4 overall seed. They must make continued improvement throughout the remainder of this season and into 2025. For now, though, much of what Indy saw from Richardson Sunday is to be expected as he continues to play and gain experience. Developing a young passer involves ups and downs, and the Colts will be patient with Richardson as he learns and grows.