Philip Rivers was in unmarked territory ahead of the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Coming off a five-year hiatus, much was to be made about his ability to survive in an NFL contest at 44 years old, and more over, what it would look like. But following a close game, one in which Rivers took the current NFC number 1 seed to the wire, he made it out relatively unscathed.
On Sunday night, December 21, ESPN released an exclusive interview with Rivers and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current analyst Troy Aikman. Rivers reflected on his wild week leading up to Seattle and previewed what to expect ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
In the interview, Rivers acknowledged how surprising the opportunity to come back and play was and how much he contemplated it, stating that, “that was probably as hard a decision as I’ve ever had to make.” He credits a lot of his choice coming down to the fact that everything was in the right place, given that he had previous connections to the team (Colts), he was familiar with the system, he already played with a handful of the players, and his family was supportive of his effort to do so. He also said that he tried to make the decision as simple as “an opportunity to compete again at a game I love playing.”
GettyQuarterback Philip Rivers threw his first touchdown pass in over 1,800 days in the Indianapolis Colts Week 15 game against the Seattle Seahawks.
And compete is exactly what the Colts did in Week 15, although Rivers reinforces that while he has embraced the story of his return, the most important goal is winning, and that he needs to play to a higher level. “We’re trying to win, you know. So last week, yeah, it was great, and it went okay. But it didn’t go good enough because we didn’t win the game.”
Rivers recapped the whirlwind of the week prior and how fast it felt, but now, entering his second week as a member of the Colts, he said that he is more comfortable and expects people to say, “That looks like a Philip Rivers offense.
Rivers expects Colts’ Offense to Look More Normal against 49ers
Aikman praised Rivers for his gutsy performance against the Seahawks and understood why the offense played relatively reserved in the pass game while leaning on the run game. When asked about how the offense will look ahead of their Monday Night Football matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Rivers gave a candid answer. “It’s not going to be the 10 yards or less, dink it around. It’ll be more of a normal flow.”
This is an encouraging answer, given that Rivers only averaged 4.4 yards per attempt against the Seahawks and averaged 1.4 completed air yards per completion.
GettyIndianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen worked with Philip Rivers from 2019-2020 as the offensive coordinator for the Chargers.
If Rivers can establish a downfield passing threat, that would open up lanes for Jonathan Taylor and the rushing attack, which would allow Shane Steichen to operate at a more complete level.
As a team, the 49ers currently hold the 18th-rated defense overall and, more specifically, are 18th-rated against guarding the pass. We will see how much difference a week can make as Rivers looks to defy the odds once again on Monday night.
The Colts’ Playoff Chances following Week 16 Outcomes
Unfortunately, the Colts didn’t get much help on Sunday from any of the teams competing for a playoff spot in the AFC. The Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4), Buffalo Bills (11-4), Los Angeles Chargers (11-4), and Houston Texans (10-5) all secured victories, keeping the Colts (8-6 ahead of Monday Night) at arm’s length from the AFC South division title or a wild card spot.
According to The Athletic’s playoff simulator, before the Week 16 games happened, Indianapolis had just an 8% chance of making the playoffs.
The percentage has now dropped to 3% following the Week 16 outcomes. The Colts now need to win out and need the Texans and Jaguars to lose out.
Fortunately, the Colts still have matchups with both the Texans and Jaguars on their schedule. But before they can focus on the future, they have to focus on the now and take care of the 49ers on Monday night.
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