INDIANAPOLIS — Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones and Samuel Womack III have earned the right to take a bow.

Yes, the Miami Dolphins came into Sunday’s game depleted at quarterback with starter Tua Tagovailoa only being designated to return from injured reserve a day later.

And the problems worsened when reserve Tyler Huntley — who came in 1-1 as a starter — also left the game with a shoulder injury.

But the much-maligned Indianapolis Colts secondary — led by the trio of starting cornerbacks — never allowed Miami’s passing game to find a rhythm.

Huntley and replacement Tim Boyle combined for just 15 completions and 161 yards.

The Dolphins’ longest gain was a 25-yard swing pass to a fullback, and speedy wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle combined for two catches and 19 yards.

A Colts defense that ranks 29th of the 32 NFL teams in yards allowed kept Miami in check long enough for a struggling offense to make just enough plays to pull out a 16-10 victory.

“They’re so explosive on the perimeter — their speed — and it’s a tough matchup,” Indianapolis defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “We just felt like we need to do some things to — if we were in zone or if we were in man — that keep a close eye on (Hill and Waddle).

“So give credit to the DBs and Milo (secondary coach Ron Milus). They did a great job back there, but it really was a total team effort because to do that in the back end, some guys had to strain on the front end, and they did.”

The Colts (4-3) produced two sacks and five quarterback hits, and the linebackers had a career day in the open field.

Grant Stuard — subbing in first for starter E.J. Speed and then further expanding his role when rookie Jaylon Carlies left with an ankle injury — made a career-high 18 tackles, and Zaire Franklin added 16 stops.

That’s the most for a pair of Indianapolis linebackers since at least the 2000 season.

But the challenge for the defense — at all levels — will greatly increase in the coming weeks.

Beginning with Sunday’s trip to face the AFC South-leading Houston Texans (14th), four of the next five opponents rank in the top 15 scoring offenses, and three are in the top six.

Houston won the season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium 29-27 with a balanced offense that produced 213 rushing yards and 204 yards through the air.

The Texans (5-2) will be without injured star wide receiver Nico Collins — who had six catches for 117 yards in Week 1 — but they still have significant perimeter threats in veteran Stefon Diggs (42 catches, 415 yards, three touchdowns this season) and second-year wide receiver Tank Dell (20 catches, 194 yards, one touchdown).

Running back Joe Mixon also rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries in the opener.

So an Indianapolis defense that has surrendered a total of 27 points in consecutive victories the past two weeks figures to be severely tested in this rematch.

“(The Texans) do a good job of mixing it up,” Bradley said. “We went in (with) the mindset the first game that they may be able to run the ball, but we’ve got to keep the explosive plays down and affect the quarterback. At the end, they ran the ball and got quite a few yards.

“So they are extremely challenging because of that. You have great respect for their run game, great respect for their passing game and we’re going to have to pick and choose our times. Hopefully, we just play really good football and tackle well because it really does come down to the fundamentals. When we execute and tackle well and get off blocks, we seem to play a little bit better.”

COOL RUNNING

Tyler Goodson felt the weight of the world on his shoulders after failing to haul in a fourth-and-1 pass from Gardner Minshew in last season’s finale against Houston.

He stood at his locker inside Lucas Oil Stadium and took accountability for the failed conversion that helped drop the Colts to 9-8 and cost them their first division championship since 2014.

But he also vowed to come back better than ever.

Goodson has delivered on that promise.

He’s already set career highs with 27 carries and 128 rushing yards this season, and he’s had 22 carries for 102 yards the last two weeks — including his first career touchdown to tie the game in the third quarter against Miami (2-4).

With Indianapolis hoping to get Jonathan Taylor back from an ankle injury this week, Goodson has made a case to remain a part of the offensive attack as the primary backup.

“It’s been a really cool story,” Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “(It’s) really fun to watch him work, really fun to watch him attack each day. Whatever his job is for the day, his point of emphasis is for the day, his set of reps he’s getting for the day, Goodie brings it.”