INDIANAPOLIS _ The Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes suffered a major blow Sunday.
Heading into the game, few expected the Dolphins to hang with the red-hot Indianapolis Colts (6-5) in a shootout and Dolphins eventually folded, blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Sunday's 27-24 loss, which was sealed by Adam Vinatieri's 32-yard field goal as the clock expired.
The Dolphins offense has been stagnant for most of this season, especially during the past three games where backup quarterback Brock Osweiler didn't throw a touchdown pass. The return of starter Ryan Tannehill, who was playing in his first game in nearly five weeks because of a capsule injury to his throwing shoulder, gave coach Adam Gase's offense life again.
Miami began the game with the team's first game-opening touchdown drive in 21 contests as running back Kenyan Drake capped a six-play, 75-yard drive with a 33-yard run-after-catch score.
But that lead didn't hold up for long because Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who completed 30-of-37 passes 347 yards and three touchdowns, responded with a 14-yard touchdown to tight end Eric Ebron, which capped a five-play, 75-yard drive.
The rest of the first half was a defensive battle that got exciting in the final two minutes because of three quick turnovers _ Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard pulled down two interceptions _ and touchdowns scored by Indianapolis tight end Jack Doyle and Miami receiver Leonte Carroo. Carroo scored on a 74-yard touchdown after he took advantage of a jump-ball opportunity and wrestled the ball away from Colts cornerback Pierre Desir and ran it into the end zone.
The Dolphins scored 10 straight points in the third quarter, capitalizing off a blocked punt, which turned into a 29-yard field goal from Jason Sanders, and Drake capped a nine-play, 62-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run that gave Miami a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.
While scoring remains a major roadblock for Gase's offense, the bigger issue against the Colts was Miami's defense, which failed to pressure Luck, who was sacked for the first time in five games when defensive end Cameron Wake took him down on a sack-fumble late in the third quarter.
Luck and the Colts took possession at the Indianapolis' 11-yard line following a booming Matt Haack punt and needed seven plays and 3:18 to put his team into the end zone when he found Ebron open for his second touchdown catch.
That score tied the contest, 24-24, with 4:25 left the game, and put Tannehill, who completed 17-of-25 passes 204 yards and two touchdowns, in the driver's seat to preserve the win but things continued to unravel.
Miami began its critical possession on the 6-yard line because of a holding penalty on the kickoff return, and following the Dolphins' plays were cringe worthy.
A Frank Gore run gained nothing. A bubble screen to receiver DeVante Parker had the same result and drew an offensive pass interference call on receiver Kenny Stills that the Colts declined. Then Miami ran a draw to Drake on third-and-10 that gained 4 yards, setting up a punt that returned possession to the Colts at the 42-yard line with 2:38 left.
From there Luck worked Miami's defense like a surgeon. On third-and-8, with the game on the line, Luck stepped up to evade defensive end Andre Branch's rush. He escaped defensive tackle Akeem Spence's pressure up the gut by stepping through the pocket before finding a wide-open Chester Rogers for a 33-yard catch that put the Colts in scoring territory in the game's final two minutes.
From that point the Colts drained the clock and Miami's timeouts before Vinatieri kicked a 32-yard field goal that sealed the win, and put the Dolphins under .500 for the first time this season.
Miami would likely need to win four of their final five games to get back into the wild-card playoff race, but Sunday's loss leaves little room for error during these upcoming December games.
