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INDIANAPOLIS – The longest homestand of the 2018 season for the Colts will end with a familiar face back inside of Lucas Oil Stadium.
Frank Gore and the 5-5 Miami Dolphins will be in Indy this weekend for a game that was flexed to 4:25 PM, given both teams are fighting for a playoff spot.
The Dolphins are .500 on the year, despite ranking near the bottom of the NFL offensively and defensively.
Questions at quarterback are there for the Dolphins as they return from their bye week.
Starter Ryan Tannehill has missed the past 5 games with a right throwing shoulder injury.
Brock Osweiler has been the man under center, with the Dolphins going 2-4 in those games. Osweiler has had very good success in prior games against the Colts.
Tannehill returned to throwing prior to Miami’s bye week and head coach Adam Gase has said the 2012 first-round pick has a chance to return this weekend.
Gore continues to be a durable and productive runner. He has 528 yards on 117 carries this season, which is good for 4.5 yards per carry.
Miami enters Week 12 having yet to score an offensive touchdown in their last 9 quarters of action.
Defensively, the Dolphins are 2nd in the NFL in interception rate, one of the few numbers you can point to as why they remain in the hunt for a Wild Card berth with November coming to a close.
The winner on Sunday will gain an important tiebreaker in the Wild Card race, which currently has a handful of teams at 5-5, all battling for the second and final playoff spot in the AFC.
2018 Record: 5-5, 2nd place in the AFC East.
Head Coach: Mike Vrabel, head coach (3rd season as the head coach of the Dolphins, 21-21 overall in regular season, 0-1 overall in the postseason).
2018 NFL Rankings: Offense – Overall, 28th (392.3); Rushing, 21st (142.0); Passing, 26th (250.3). Defense – Overall, 27th (328.0); Rushing, 30th (99.8); Passing, 19th (228.2).
2018 Leading Quarterback: Brock Osweiler (113-of-178 comp., 1,247 yards, 63.5 pct., 6 TDs, 4 INTs, 86.0 rating).
2018 Leading Running Back: Frank Gore (117 carries, 528 yards, 0 TDs).
2018 Leading Receiver: Danny Amendola (47 receptions, 456 yards, 1 TD).
2018 Leading Sacker: Cameron Wake (3.5).
2018 Turnover Breakdown: Plus 4 (tied for 9th in the NFL).
2018 NFL Draft Results: With the 11th overall pick, the Dolphins took versatile Miami defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. In Round Two, the draft selection was Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki at No. 42 overall. For the Dolphins next two selections, they took Midwest prospects in Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker (No. 73 overall) and Notre Dame tight end Durham Smythe (No. 123 overall). Miami rounded out the 4th round by drafting Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage.
2017 Review: After sneaking into a Wild Card spot in Adam Gase’s first season as head coach, the Dolphins did not have the same success in 2017. A 4-2 start to the ’17 campaign had Miami in position for another playoff run. But the Dolphins ended last year losing 8 of their final 10 games and finishing 6-10. The Dolphins were thoroughly outplayed during a 5-game losing streak in late October and all of November. With quarterback Ryan Tannehill tearing his ACL, the Dolphins talked Jay Cutler out of retirement, with that experiment not leading to the desire results.
Last time in Playoffs: 2016 season. Lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-13, in the AFC Wild Card Round of the Playoffs.
Last time in Super Bowl: 1983. Lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 38-16, in Super Bowl XIX.
Super Bowl Championships: Two. 1972 (VII), 1973 (VIII).
2017 Pro Bowl Selections: WR-Jarvis Landry, S-Reshad Jones.
