INDIANAPOLIS — All of a sudden, in the wake of a disappointing, jaw-dropping season-opening 33-8 loss at Indianapolis, the Miami Dolphins are facing a nearly must-win game in Week 2 against New England.

If the Dolphins lose their home opener next week to the winless Patriots (they lost at home to Las Vegas, 20-13) they’re facing an almost certain 0-3 start.

And then the pressure really would start to build on coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier, and by association, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The key thing to keep in mind is Sunday’s loss is just one of 17, meaning it’s only one game among 17 regular-season games.

“I’m very optimistic,” center Aaron Brewer said. “It’s a long season, you know what I’m saying? It ain’t about how you start, it’s about how you finish. So we’re on to next week, and it could be totally different next week. And we all know this, it’s the NFL, that’s where my head at.” 

It’s good that the Dolphins are ready to flush this loss and look ahead to the Patriots because the Dolphins, who I still stubbornly have as a nine-win team this season, absolutely can’t fall to 0-2 and say it’s just two of 17.

If they lose next Sunday you might as well pencil in an 0-3 start.

We know there’s almost no way the Dolphins win at the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night in Week 3. In the McDaniel/Tua era, the Dolphins are 1-6 against the Bills and riding a six-game losing streak, including losing all four at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium.

So the Dolphins have to win next Sunday.

It won’t be easy. They’ll have mental scars that must heal quickly. 

Tua had three ugly turnovers — two interceptions and a lost fumble — that the Colts turned into 17 points. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill finished with four receptions for 40 yards. Fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle had four receptions for 30 yards. 

The edge rushers (Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Chop Robinson and Matthew Judon) totaled just one sack as the Colts offensive line, which was as good as advertised, formed an impenetrable wall around quarterback Daniel Jones.

The secondary was nearly a disaster between wide open receivers and a blown coverage that allowed a touchdown.

Even special teams had a huge mistake as Judon’s running into the punter penalty allowed the Colts to complete a 17-play drive that saw them convert a third-and-10 and a fourth-and-2.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Breaking down Miami’s disastrous loss in season opener at Colts | VIDEO

“I don’t think we played a complete game of football,” safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t think we really did anything well. Offense, defense, pressing teams. We didn’t hit any of our goals. I think there’s a lot of things that need to get fixed. But luckily, the things that need to get fixed are fixable.”

The Colts, not an offensive juggernaut by any measurement, had scoring drives of 15, 17 and 14 plays. Oh, and just for balance they scored on a pair of seven-play drives, a five-play drive and a nine-play drive.

As for the physical scars, consider neither right guard James Daniels (pectoral) nor right tackle Austin Jackson (toe) finished the game. Daniels’ injury is likely more serious than Jackson’s. That means the revamped offensive line might never reach its full potential.

Yeah, this loss was bad on many levels.

But the Dolphins’ locker room wasn’t bad. Yes, players were stunned, disappointed and dejected. But the locker room was more businesslike than bad.

We’ve seen bad Dolphins locker rooms among the 56-19 loss at Baltimore late in the 2023 season, the 48-20 loss at Buffalo early in the 2023 season, the 26-7 playoff loss at Kansas City in the 2023 season, and last year’s 30-27 loss at Buffalo, which was perhaps the most devastated I’ve ever seen that locker room.

Sunday wasn’t in that category.

But it was hurtful. You could see it and feel it as they filed out of the locker room. All were dejected.

Owner Steve Ross. President Tom Garfinkel. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Waddle. Tua. All of them.

Sunday wasn’t the end of the world, but it was the end of the myth that this team could be special this season, that this team could give a big “screw you” to skeptics whose season predictions range from an optimistic 9-8 to a heads-will-roll 5-12.

Yes, the loss at Indianapolis is just one of 17 games. It felt like much more, though.

Sunday’s loss gives you the feeling that if the Dolphins lose next week, there’s nothing they can do to prevent an 0-3 start, in which case there will be talk of jobs being on the line.

Next week’s game against New England is as close to a must-win game as you’ll ever see in September.