Miami Dolphins Adam Gase announced that quarterback Ryan Tannehill will start Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts after missing five games with a shoulder, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Dolphins get a big boost as they continue their quest at making the playoffs. Miami (5-5) is tied with the Colts, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens for the No. 6 seed in the AFC.

Brock Osweiler did a decent job filling in for the injured Tannehill, winning two of his five starts (the Dolphins had a daunting schedule),while tossing five touchdowns against four interceptions. Not great, but good enough to help Miami stick around in the postseason race.

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Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Miami needs Tannehill to stay healthy as they prepare for the final six games of the season. He missed the final quarter of the 2016 season after suffering an MCL injury, including their 2016 Wild Card Round playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On the season, Tannehill has 972 passing yards and eight touchdowns against five interceptions, with 91 rushing yards.

What This Means

Miami has slipped after a promising 3-0 start to the season. They sit two games behind the New England for the AFC East lead, but if Miami can win out, they just might manage to capture the division title.

Tannehill tore his ACL before the 2017 season began, and thus missed the entire year. He's now missed one-third of the 2018 campaign, and with rumors that the Dolphins could cut him after this season, Tannehill has to show that he deserves the chance to remain the starter for 2019.

The Dolphins and Colts sit at 5-5, so the loser of this game will be dealt a giant blow to their postseason hopes. Tannehill has been a very solid quarterback when healthy for the Dolphins, so they need him at his best against the surging Colts this Sunday.

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