Defense doesn’t waiver

Brian Flores’ team appears to be turning the corner as the Miami Dolphins have transformed themselves from a dumpster fire into a two-win team.

This young team, which has been propped up by 14 waiverwire claims, is learning how to win close games.

Sunday’s 16-12 road win over the Indianapolis Colts was an admirable defensive effort because Miami’s three interceptions set the table for the offense, and kept the Colts from scoring. The defense only allowed one of Indianapolis’ five trips in the red zone to turn into points.

Here is the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s report card, evaluating how the Dolphins performed in Sunday’s win over the Colts:

Passing game: C

Ryan Fitzpatrick was efficient for most of the game, completing 21-of-33 passes for 169 yards — with 122 of those yards coming in the first half. The passing game struggled in the second half because of the Colts’ defensive pressure. The interception Fitzpatrick threw came as a result of his hand getting hit on a throw to tight end Mike Gesicki. A major issue the rest of the season will center around the offense trying to compensate for the loss of receiver Preston Williams as Fitzpatrick completed at least one pass to nine different players against the Colts.

Running game: C

Kalen Ballage struggled in his first start since Mark Walton’s suspension, gaining just 43 yards on 20 attempts. Ballage, who is averaging 2.1 yards per carry, needs to do a better job finding creases created by the offensive line. Fitzpatrick’s 11-yard run produced Miami’s only touchdown of the game. The Dolphins have to find a way to improve their 3.1 yards-per-carry average, which has them on pace to deliver the worst rushing output in NFL history.

Defending the pass: B

Miami’s young and inexperienced secondary played its best game of the season, delivering three interceptions against a Colts offense that was playing without the team’s starting quarterback and top two receivers. Brian Hoyer produced a 38.8 passer rating as Jacoby Brissett’s replacement. Several of the team’s cornerbacks may have begun the season on another team or the practice squad, but youngsters like Nik Needham and Jomal Wiltz are coming into their own.

Defending the run: C+

The Dolphins limited the Colts to 109 rushing yards on 29 carries (3.8 per attempt), which is a slight improvement considering Miami is allowing its opponents to average 127 rushing yards and 4.6 yards per game. Defensive tackles Davon Godchaux, Christian Wilkins and John

Jenkins did a good job anchoring against a Colts offensive line, which is viewed as one of the best in the NFL. That group appears to be turning the corner, playing better in the second half of the season despite several injuries.

Special teams: A

Without Jason Sanders’ three field goals — a 47-yarder and two 48-yarders in the fourth quarter — the Dolphins would have certainly lost Sunday’s game. Considering Adam Vinatieri, a future Hall of Famer, missed his fifth extra point of the season, which played a major role in Indianapolis’ loss, we shouldn’t overlook the value of a reliable kicker. Matt Haack averaged 33.8 net yards, mainly because of one shanked punt. Neither team had any kickoff returns in the game, but newcomer Marcus Sherels did return two punts for 16 yards.

Coaching: A

The Dolphins led for most of the game and rallied back when Indianapolis took the lead early in the fourth quarter. Even though the offense only produced 229 net yards, Miami found a way to win. The three turnovers the defense produced set the team up for scores, and Miami’s defense only allowed the Colts to score once in Indianapolis’ five trips inside the red zone. That’s the type of stingy performance defensive coordinator Patrick Graham should be proud of.

Stock up: Needham

Nik Needham, an undrafted rookie who worked his way up from Miami’s practice squad, has blossomed into a reliable NFL cornerback. In Miami’s 26-18 win over the New York Jets, he had a key sack. Against the Colts, Needham pulled in what should be viewed as the game-saving interception because it put Miami’s offense in position to turn a one-point fourth-quarter lead into a four-point lead with a field goal. The Dolphins should continue testing out Needham to see if the former UTEP standout should be viewed as a potential building block for the future.

Stock Down: Wilson

Albert Wilson is not the same player who led the NFL in yards after catch last season before he suffered a season-ending hip injury. Wilson, who caught one of three passes thrown his way against the Colts, looks slow and is struggling to create separation from defenders. This offense would benefit from having a reliable slot receiver. If Wilson doesn’t start producing more this month, the Dolphins should experiment with using Gary Jennings or Isaiah Ford in that role. At this point, it’s hard to envision Miami honoring Wilson’s $9.5 million salary next season because releasing him before the 2020 season creates an identical amount of cap space. Wilson needs to give the Dolphins a reason to keep him.