FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ If the Miami Dolphins take advantage, their next victory could come a lot sooner than many anticipated.
Still, the Dolphins will be up for a stiff challenge when they face an Indianapolis Colts team Sunday that will be without starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who was ruled out Saturday to rest a knee injury he suffered last week.
As a result, the Colts will turn to NFL journeyman Brian Hoyer to start against the Dolphins, with practice squad quarterback Chad Kelly, nephew of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, being elevated to the roster to serve as Hoyer's backup.
Indianapolis holds the sixth seed in the AFC playoff race entering Week 10, and may believe resting Brissett against the struggling, yet improving Dolphins could bode well for their goals for the rest of the season.
If the 1-7 Dolphins have any opportunity to score their first road win of the year and ride the wave following their first victory, Sunday's game could be it.
Brissett, who suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in last week, has filled in admirably as the Colts starter this season after Andrew Luck's abrupt retirement during the preseason.
Brissett has completed 64.3% of his passes, throwing 14 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. He has led the Colts to a 5-3 start and second-place standing in the AFC North behind the Houston Texans (6-3).
Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who was in New England when Brissett spend his rookie season with the Patriots in 2016, was quite complimentary this past week of the leadership skills from former Dwyer High standout from Palm Beach County.
"Guys gravitate to him. That's the one thing that's stood out to me," Flores said of Brissett.
"You could see the leadership and you could see the ability to handle the offense and operate an offense at a young age. He's got a lot of the QB qualities you are looking for from an operation, leadership, guys rally around him _ he's got a lot of those qualities.
"I'm not surprised that he's gone in there and done a really nice job for them."
Instead of facing Brissett, the Dolphins defense will face another quarterback that Flores respects and has familiarity with.
Hoyer, in his 13th NFL season, has played for seven different teams in his career including two stints with the Patriots from 2009-11 and 2017-18, backing up Tom Brady.
In relief of Brissett last week, Hoyer completed 17 of 26 passes for 165 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in the Colts' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also sacked four times.
It will be Hoyer's first start since Week 6 during the 2017 season.
"Hoyer is as smart as they come at the quarterback position," Flores said. "(He) understands defense, has been in a few different systems and understands different ways to protect, to schematically put together different concepts. This guy's very, very bright. He's another guy who, he and I would go back and forth, talk about defense, talk about offense, talk about protections, talk about route concepts. Again, another impressive guy."
Hoyer, 34, and Dolphins starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, 36, will both play without their leading receivers. Dolphins rookie Preston Williams suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee against the New York Jets last week, while Colts leader T.Y Hilton is out with a calf injury.
The Dolphins are also dealing with the four-game suspension of starting running back Mark Walton, and will have to rely on second-year running back Kalen Ballage and rookies Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin to carry the rushing load.
The odds may be stacked against the Dolphins: They opened as an 11.5-point underdog, which was reduced by just a point to 10.5 after the Brissett news came on Saturday.
But if there is a game the Dolphins could capitalize on, Sunday's game against the Colts and their backup quarterback would be a prime opportunity.
