Adetomiwa Adebawore Scores on a Strip Sack and Laquon Treadwell Ends His TD Drought in a 24-22 Escape

Adetomiwa Adebawore did not have to go far. Justin Walley got to Kyle McCord at the Miami 2, the ball came loose, and Adebawore scooped it up inside the end zone for the first defensive touchdown of the Indianapolis season.

That third-quarter score ended up being the margin. The Indianapolis Colts held off the Miami Dolphins 24-22 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, snapping a five-game losing streak and winning for the first time since Week 4. Indianapolis is now 3-7. Miami falls to 1-8 with a third straight loss.

A Trick Play and a Long Wait for Treadwell

Neither offense found the end zone in the first quarter, and Miami wasted its best early opening when Zane Gonzalez pushed a 47-yard field goal wide left. Rookie running back Seth McGowan broke the scoreless tie on a 4-yard run early in the second quarter, his touchdown for the second week in a row.

The Dolphins answered with a trick play, as wide receiver Malik Washington threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert to tie it at 7. Safety Michael Taaffe then intercepted Daniel Jones. Miami also drove to the Indianapolis 8 in the half, only to turn it over on downs when McCord's fourth-and-2 throw to Greg Dulcich fell incomplete.

Jones made the Dolphins pay with 39 seconds left before the break, hitting Laquon Treadwell for a 7-yard touchdown. It was the veteran receiver's first score of the season and his first since Week 18 of the 2021 season, and it put Indianapolis ahead 14-7 for good.

A Defensive Touchdown for Each Side

The Colts needed just 12 seconds of the third quarter to double the lead. The Walley strip sack and Adebawore recovery made it 21-7, giving Indianapolis its first double-digit lead since Week 6. It was also only the seventh takeaway of the year for a defense that entered the day with the second-fewest in the NFL.

Miami kept chipping. Gonzalez connected from 53 yards, and then rookie cornerback Chris Johnson picked off Jones and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. Gonzalez missed the extra point, leaving the score 21-16.

Late in the third quarter, facing fourth-and-1 at the Miami 33, Shane Steichen sent out Spencer Shrader instead of trusting his offense with one yard. Shrader made the 51-yard field goal for a 24-16 cushion, though the call looked shakier once Miami answered.

McCord Gets Miami Within Two

McCord, making his first NFL start in place of the injured Malik Willis, steered a 7-play, 71-yard drive and finished it himself on a 3-yard quarterback draw with 14:56 to play. The two-point try failed, and that was as close as the Dolphins would get.

Miami had one last shot, but rookie linebacker CJ Allen sacked McCord and pushed the Dolphins back out of field goal range. A turnover on downs ended it.

The Numbers Behind It

• 108 passing yards for Jones, who went 11 of 22 with a touchdown and two interceptions.
• 83 rushing yards for Jonathan Taylor on 16 carries.
• 209 passing yards for McCord in his debut, on 17-of-32 passing, plus the rushing touchdown.
• 2 defensive touchdowns, one for each team, in a span of about six minutes of the third quarter.

What It Means

This was not a pretty win for Indianapolis. Jones threw for 108 yards, and the offense leaned on a defense that had barely forced turnovers all year. The Colts will take it anyway, and they get a short week to build on it with a Thursday night trip to the Houston Texans on Nov. 19.

Miami leaves with a competitive debut from McCord, a pick-six from its rookie corner and one more one-score loss. For a 1-8 team, the effort was there. The finishing kick was not.

Scoring plays and stats from the CBS Sports gametracker and Ball Exclusives via Yardbarker. Game details from Colts.com, ProFootballTalk and Dolphins Wire via Yahoo Sports, Heavy and WISH-TV.