Indianapolis Colts vs Miami Dolphins Match Player Stats On Dec 27, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Dec 27, 2015

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - Running back Frank Gore scored two touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating the Miami Dolphins 18-12 on Sunday afternoon at Sun Life Stadium.

Miami had a first and goal from the Colts five in the final minute, but the Dolphins threw three incomplete passes. On fourth down - the final Miami play of the game - Colts defensive end Robert Mathis sacked Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Gore, a former Miami Hurricanes star, ran 15 times for 85 yards after failing to clear 60 yards in his past five games.

The Colts (7-8), already without injured starting quarterback Andrew Luck, lost backup Matt Hasselbeck (shoulder) with 5:33 left, and Indianapolis ahead 8-6 at the time. Charlie Whitehurst came in and played the rest of the game at quarterback.

Miami (5-10) suffered its third loss in a row and its seventh in the past nine games.

The Dolphins were led by wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who caught seven passes for 111 yards.

Landry, the Dolphins single-season leader in receptions, went over 100 catches for the year.

Indianapolis scored first, getting a safety with 9:16 left in the first quarter when defensive tackle T.Y. McGill sacked Tannehill.

The Colts extended their lead to 8-0 on a 37-yard touchdown run by Gore, who broke two tackles as he burst through the middle of Miami's defense. The extra point failed.

Miami blew a chance to score in the final minute of the first quarter as Tannehill's red-zone pass was intercepted by cornerback Vontae Davis, a former Dolphin.

The Dolphins scored on a 1-yard touchdown run by Lamar Miller, who capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive. The Dolphins went for two points and a tie, but Tannehill's pass was incomplete.

Two plays after Hasselbeck left the game, Indianapolis went up 15-6 on Gore's 11-yard run.

Miami and Indianapolis traded field goals - 33 yards by the Dolphins' Andrew Franks and 38 yards by the Colts' Adam Vinatieri. That left Indianapolis with an 18-9 lead with 8:30 left to play in the fourth quarter.

Franks booted another field goal, this one from 20 yards, to cut the Colts cut to 18-12 with 5:17 left.

NOTES: With QB Andrew Luck missing his sixth straight game, the Colts signed former Miami Hurricanes QB Stephen Morris, 23, as a backup. ... Rookie CB D'Joun Smith, the Colts' third-round pick, was placed on injured reserve, spoiling his homecoming (he played locally at Florida Atlantic). ... The Dolphins were without six starters: DT Cameron Wake (foot), DT Earl Mitchell (calf), LB Koa Misi (back), C Mike Pouncey (left foot), RT Ja'Wuan James (toe) and WR Rishard Matthews (ribs). ... Pouncey is the first Dolphins offensive lineman since Keith Sims 20 years ago to make three straight Pro Bowls. But two big-name Dolphins were snubbed on Tuesday when the Pro Bowl selections were announced: S Reshad Jones and DT Ndamukong Suh. ... Miami's 31-year Super Bowl-appearance drought is the sixth longest in the NFL.