The last time Philip Rivers played an NFL game was almost five years ago in the Wild Card round. After just a few days from unretiring, the Indianapolis Colts are preparing to get the veteran going ahead of the Week 15 game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Stephen Holder of ESPN said, “It isn’t difficult to tell who a team is prepping to start. That player is Rivers. Period.” The message is clear, Philip Rivers will go against the Seahawks.
The last statline of Rivers’ career game was 309 yards with 58.7% completion, two touchdowns and a 93.5 passer rating. That game was against Buffalo and they lost 27-24. Rivers went out on his shield.
Rivers is getting thrown at the wolves… or the Seahawks
The Seahawks will defend like a pack of wolves. This is not the defense you want to face on the first game after coming back from retirement. Rivers has never been that mobile, and the Seahawks will go at him with full force. The NFL is a cruel business, there is not much empathy when it comes to sacking the quarterback.
Seattle has the fourth-most sacks in the NFL with 41. The Seahawks also have the second-most interceptions in the NFL. Rivers had double-digit interceptions seasons in all but one season from 2007 to 2020. Therefore, getting your first snaps after five years against this fierce defense is just very bad luck.
The Colts need Rivers to make miracles
A couple of weeks ago, the Colts were first in the division. Now, they are out of the playoffs and with a newly-retired quarterback. The current chances of the Colts going to playoffs is 28%. If they win, those odds increase all the way to a 52%. Meanwhile, a loss drops them to 24%.
The rest of the schedule is not that kind either:
- Week 15: at Seattle
- Week 16: vs. 49ers
- Week 17: vs. Jaguars
- Week 18: at Houston
All of those are playoff teams right now.