I have always had a ton or respect for Rivers. Just a tough, tough competitor, and a great brain for the sport. HOF'er for sure. But I question how well his brain is evaluating this opportunity.
If he plays this weekend, and I think it's a big IF, he'll be handing off to Taylor a ton, and 3 step dropping the rest of the time. You won't see any 7 step drops from him, and if you do happen to see one, the coach should be fired. Irresponsible to put a 44 year old unnecessarily in harms way.
This could still be a close game, as the Colts have some very talented players. They weren't winning games because of Jones, they were winning game WITH Jones. Schemes are solid on both sides of the ball, so I expect them to stay in the fight. If we can stuff Taylor consistently, and get them to 3rd and longs, we'll be just fine. But I'm not expecting to be resting starters in the 2nd half. I'd love to be wrong about that, but when you're facing a team with talent, and a team fighting for their playoffs lives, I see them fighting like hell. If we win, and we should, it will be because we treat them like the good team they are.
How would you like to be the player that gets released to move a 44 year old QB who hasn't played in 5 years onto the active roster? Yeesh. Tell that to your grandkids.
If he moves to the active roster I think that restarts the clock on the 5 year wait for HOF eligibility. Why would he do that? He's eligible in 2026, so he'd be pushing this out to at least 2031. And for what? To find out a 44 year old who hasn't played in 5 years is likely to lose every game and get injured. I mean, that's the most likely outcome. Getting back on the football field and in a NFL locker room is only a thrill until bad things happen. He'll still feel just as bad as he used to after a loss, and physically he'll feel even worse. Why, why, why? I'm hoping he gets a soft tissue injury in practice and never sees the playing field. That's they best case scenario for him.
The Seahawks are just an absolutely brutal matchup for either a 6th round rookie making his first start or a guy who is built more like a mall Santa than an elite athlete.
You can't hand it off to Jonathan Taylor 50 times, and even if you could I wonder if the effectiveness of the run game would be thrown off by the lack of disguise and misdirection that offenses need time to practice.
Feeling more confident about this one than last week, which of course will mean that the Colts somehow make a game out of it.
FYI just posted and potential more roster movement coming as Sundell and Seubert are working out. But rookie defensive end Rylie Mills (knee) and receiver Dareke Young (quadricep) were full participants.
The only other players limited due to injuries were safety Julian Love (hamstring), safety Ty Okada (oblique/shoulder) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed (wrist/thumb).
For the Colts, rookie quarterback Riley Leonard, who replaced an injured Daniel Jones last week, was listed as a full participant with a knee injury. Leonard could be in line to make his first career start with Jones going on injured reserve this week, but the Colts did sign Philip Rivers to their practice squad this week, bringing the 44-year-old former Pro-Bowler out of retirement as another option.
Starting cornerback Sauce Gardner, a midseason trade acquisition for the Colts, was a non-participant due to the calf injury that kept him out of last week's game. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who has been on injured reserve with a neck injury, returned to practice this week and was listed as limited.”
On Rivers “immobilized” and now apparently weight (guess a post about that today). He’s got like 15 kids or something like that to wrangle. I’m thinking he might actually be more mobile now than when he first played ;-))) (conjecture only). Yes we don’t need to blitz this game. We need to play close to the line and defend the run and Taylor. And note, they’ve had the best rookie TE this year, in an incredibly diverse rookie class. And covering TE has been a weakness. Stop Taylor like we stopped Robinson last week. Then worry about the passing game.
Whew! Can I handle ANOTHER blowout without a Cartman "6-7" response? Asking our D whether they'd like to face a deer in the headlights rookie QB or Rivers on Sunday is like asking if they would prefer Salmon or Sirloin...either is just Big Cat Kibble. I suggest Colt's keep handy a defribulator, a turf sqeegee (wheel barrel and snow shovel) and spare tennis balls for River's walker. I suppose, even at 79, I'd go a round (or much less) at an MMA bout for the pile of money they're paying Rivers to walk the plank with D sharks in a feeding frenzy. I feel bad about the empending blood bath...almost.
Seaside joe did a masterful job of articulating all the reason the hawks needed to take the Falcons very seriously I thought the first half of that game looked like they were sleep walking and they might be headed for the very result SSJ had warned about. Everyone here goes on and on about how Rivers can't deliver. We all sound like the hawks can just play half speed and cruise to a victory.. I think the colts have more to lose than Atlanta did, desperation can be the supreme motivator. I believe the hawks will win this game but overconfidence VS desperation is the formula for an upset. Think back to that memorable play off game vs Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers was stunned and his post game comment applies here when he said "they just wanted it more than we did".
Their main backup qb is a rookie. The other backup qb could not make the Vikings. They just signed somebody's grandpa to be another backup qb. Their starter went down and he was about half of their offensive production. Missing starting two corner backs. I think they have major holes we will be exploiting. We also have people getting healthy and coming back with something to prove. Another 30 point half game? Prior to the last loss, all the losses were close but I think without Jones it will be hard for them to keep up. The last 5 games they have given up an average of 26 points. Watch the highlight game on YouTube.
Lots of talent on the Colts, especially on offense. And Steichen has been involved in big games with the season on the line before. It'll be interesting to see what Indianapolis comes up with because the problem at QB is certainly not lost on them. They're aware of how crazy this is.
I don't think overconfidence here in the blogosphere should be misconstrued as overconfidence in the VMAC and at Lumen Field. I've seen no reason to believe that the Seahawks won't take the Colts as seriously as they have any other team. I don't see them hitting cruise control unless it is half way through the fourth and they are up by 30. If you listen to MM talk, he isn't just talking about stacking wins, but stacking plays and series. That's what they need to do in the playoffs and practicing that now against a team without a legit QB will help them come January. Pulling Rivers out of mothballs against the Seahawks D is a big mistake. I don't expect that he will finish the game. Look for them to put their foot on Indy's neck and keep it there.
Thanks for this. Your thoughts mirror mine. I have been impressed with the overall preparation from MM's team. They seem to have the same steadiness he exhibits and just keep plugging away in accordance with their game plan. I don't think I have seen the team play down to an opponent yet and they have risen to the moment against stiffer competition.
Looking forward to the running battle. Taylor held under 100 in the 4 recent losses. K-9 and Charb building momentum, ready to show that a 1-2 punch is boss late season. 12s gonna roar.
Looks like MM has lost faith in the coaching of our Run Game. If accurate, we should see the start of real improvement against a weakened opponent. I saw no compassion from MM when announcing Kennedy Polamalu's departure.
"When will see him return?"
'He's gone for the year'.
Sounded like he's off Mike's desk. Setting a tone. Demanding results. Fail and you are gone, etched in stone. MM is not a creepy-nice guy.
Hmmm . . . personal reasons. Health or family maybe, don’t want to speculate much. Serious enough where he needs to leave for the season and the team isn’t saying more.
Apparently Rivers' high school team runs some version of Steichen's offense, and those two talked once a week or so about...stuff. He's still 44. I mean, it's a bad idea. If I were his insurance carrier I'd drop him the minute he's put on the active roster. But I suspect, as do others here, his job as the emergency QB, would be to hand the ball off and dump a few short passes...and hope. My guess is Leonard starts, if he's ambulatory, and Rivers only comes in if Leonard can't walk. (And Rypien's that bad, why bother taking a roster spot with him? Sheesh. And we wonder why the NFL can't develop QB talent...)
Rivers, in his day, was one of the best quarterbacks to grace the game. Who can forget his play in the 2007 AFC Championship Game while being hobbled by a torn ACL and meniscus?
I will be pulling for Rivers for the remainder of the year.
More proof you are smarter than I Ken. I am retired and spent a lot of quality time on my fantasy team. I am 7-7 in the 5 seed and only 4 playoff spots.
In all seriousness my biggest mistake was I had a choice in the third round between K9 and JSN and I chose wrong. JSN has 287 points K9 has 138.
That's about 11 points a week.
Oh well I think it is all good to be better in real life than fantasy.
I know there is a bad joke in there some place, but I digress.
Tom Brady is thinking about a Week 16 return for the Raiders. The Saints are calling up Brees. Eli is prepping with the Giants. Big Ben joins up with Tomlin for one last ride. Philip Rivers is reasonable odds on to start for the Colts.
That is the correct order of likelihood. If we lose this game it'll be arguably the worst loss in NFL history.
It’s starting to feel like youth sports, when one team doesn’t have enough players show up, so the coaches agree to lend a player so the kids can still play a game. Switch jerseys, Drew?
Haha. Sounds a bit like our Australian football ‘Legends’ match that they have each year where ex-players (with a few celebrities thrown in) get together and play each other. It’s quite funny seeing ex-now fat-players running around trying to be their former selves or just having a bit of fun. Most just look like old men trying to desperately (but unsuccessfully) hold on to their youth and glory days.
However, It’s interesting to see that there’s usually a couple that have looked after themselves post-retirement and can still play and move pretty well. Maybe Rivers is hoping for that.
In listening to him, I can see the Coaching is unleashing a brand of old school QB Leadership that is missing lately, as you pointed out. I suspect we shall see the Players will be battling like hell for him, come Sunday. Could be worse: could have been the Lions...
PS: I strongly suspect our daily articles are quietly becoming favorite Reads among the Players, Ken. I don't praise your command of the subject matter enough (if ever), Ken. Full spectrum solid stuff, else I wouldn't be here. A Master of his Craft. Sounds to me like you have married well to boot, Buddy.
The kinder/gentler generation's Eagle's defense took it easy on Herbert's broken wrist Monday. I suspect that level of sportsmanship is perty much League-wide now. Good on you, Boyz. Noble play. There once was very real reasons QBs stayed home in their mid to late 30's. That said, I do believe Phillip's decision to get back on the field has more to do with mid-life issues than Reason. Our guys are training on zero points allowed. They are not out there to be nice, especially when threatened. Don't ask them to be, dammit.
I have always had a ton or respect for Rivers. Just a tough, tough competitor, and a great brain for the sport. HOF'er for sure. But I question how well his brain is evaluating this opportunity.
If he plays this weekend, and I think it's a big IF, he'll be handing off to Taylor a ton, and 3 step dropping the rest of the time. You won't see any 7 step drops from him, and if you do happen to see one, the coach should be fired. Irresponsible to put a 44 year old unnecessarily in harms way.
This could still be a close game, as the Colts have some very talented players. They weren't winning games because of Jones, they were winning game WITH Jones. Schemes are solid on both sides of the ball, so I expect them to stay in the fight. If we can stuff Taylor consistently, and get them to 3rd and longs, we'll be just fine. But I'm not expecting to be resting starters in the 2nd half. I'd love to be wrong about that, but when you're facing a team with talent, and a team fighting for their playoffs lives, I see them fighting like hell. If we win, and we should, it will be because we treat them like the good team they are.
How would you like to be the player that gets released to move a 44 year old QB who hasn't played in 5 years onto the active roster? Yeesh. Tell that to your grandkids.
If he moves to the active roster I think that restarts the clock on the 5 year wait for HOF eligibility. Why would he do that? He's eligible in 2026, so he'd be pushing this out to at least 2031. And for what? To find out a 44 year old who hasn't played in 5 years is likely to lose every game and get injured. I mean, that's the most likely outcome. Getting back on the football field and in a NFL locker room is only a thrill until bad things happen. He'll still feel just as bad as he used to after a loss, and physically he'll feel even worse. Why, why, why? I'm hoping he gets a soft tissue injury in practice and never sees the playing field. That's they best case scenario for him.
The Seahawks are just an absolutely brutal matchup for either a 6th round rookie making his first start or a guy who is built more like a mall Santa than an elite athlete.
You can't hand it off to Jonathan Taylor 50 times, and even if you could I wonder if the effectiveness of the run game would be thrown off by the lack of disguise and misdirection that offenses need time to practice.
Feeling more confident about this one than last week, which of course will mean that the Colts somehow make a game out of it.
Per Sports Illustrated, but I think it may have already been posted here:
Here’s the list of rookies who had a sack, blocked kick, multiple tackles for loss and a pick in the same game:
Nick Emmanwori
Nice call out. To bring it a step forward, here is the list of players who have accomplished this since 2000:
Nick Emmanwori in 2025.
Leonard Williams in 2024.
Adrian Wilson in 2010.
Julius Peppers in 2004.
Rarefied air there and the Hawks have 2 of the players that have achieved this.
Speaks to the talent of the players, but also the creativity of the coaches.
I am all-in with MM demanding his coaches 'find a way' to improve. No excuses. You had 14 games to shine, and didn't. Next Man Up.
FYI just posted and potential more roster movement coming as Sundell and Seubert are working out. But rookie defensive end Rylie Mills (knee) and receiver Dareke Young (quadricep) were full participants.
The only other players limited due to injuries were safety Julian Love (hamstring), safety Ty Okada (oblique/shoulder) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed (wrist/thumb).
For the Colts, rookie quarterback Riley Leonard, who replaced an injured Daniel Jones last week, was listed as a full participant with a knee injury. Leonard could be in line to make his first career start with Jones going on injured reserve this week, but the Colts did sign Philip Rivers to their practice squad this week, bringing the 44-year-old former Pro-Bowler out of retirement as another option.
Starting cornerback Sauce Gardner, a midseason trade acquisition for the Colts, was a non-participant due to the calf injury that kept him out of last week's game. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who has been on injured reserve with a neck injury, returned to practice this week and was listed as limited.”
On Rivers “immobilized” and now apparently weight (guess a post about that today). He’s got like 15 kids or something like that to wrangle. I’m thinking he might actually be more mobile now than when he first played ;-))) (conjecture only). Yes we don’t need to blitz this game. We need to play close to the line and defend the run and Taylor. And note, they’ve had the best rookie TE this year, in an incredibly diverse rookie class. And covering TE has been a weakness. Stop Taylor like we stopped Robinson last week. Then worry about the passing game.
Whew! Can I handle ANOTHER blowout without a Cartman "6-7" response? Asking our D whether they'd like to face a deer in the headlights rookie QB or Rivers on Sunday is like asking if they would prefer Salmon or Sirloin...either is just Big Cat Kibble. I suggest Colt's keep handy a defribulator, a turf sqeegee (wheel barrel and snow shovel) and spare tennis balls for River's walker. I suppose, even at 79, I'd go a round (or much less) at an MMA bout for the pile of money they're paying Rivers to walk the plank with D sharks in a feeding frenzy. I feel bad about the empending blood bath...almost.
Seaside joe did a masterful job of articulating all the reason the hawks needed to take the Falcons very seriously I thought the first half of that game looked like they were sleep walking and they might be headed for the very result SSJ had warned about. Everyone here goes on and on about how Rivers can't deliver. We all sound like the hawks can just play half speed and cruise to a victory.. I think the colts have more to lose than Atlanta did, desperation can be the supreme motivator. I believe the hawks will win this game but overconfidence VS desperation is the formula for an upset. Think back to that memorable play off game vs Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers was stunned and his post game comment applies here when he said "they just wanted it more than we did".
Their main backup qb is a rookie. The other backup qb could not make the Vikings. They just signed somebody's grandpa to be another backup qb. Their starter went down and he was about half of their offensive production. Missing starting two corner backs. I think they have major holes we will be exploiting. We also have people getting healthy and coming back with something to prove. Another 30 point half game? Prior to the last loss, all the losses were close but I think without Jones it will be hard for them to keep up. The last 5 games they have given up an average of 26 points. Watch the highlight game on YouTube.
Lots of talent on the Colts, especially on offense. And Steichen has been involved in big games with the season on the line before. It'll be interesting to see what Indianapolis comes up with because the problem at QB is certainly not lost on them. They're aware of how crazy this is.
I don't think overconfidence here in the blogosphere should be misconstrued as overconfidence in the VMAC and at Lumen Field. I've seen no reason to believe that the Seahawks won't take the Colts as seriously as they have any other team. I don't see them hitting cruise control unless it is half way through the fourth and they are up by 30. If you listen to MM talk, he isn't just talking about stacking wins, but stacking plays and series. That's what they need to do in the playoffs and practicing that now against a team without a legit QB will help them come January. Pulling Rivers out of mothballs against the Seahawks D is a big mistake. I don't expect that he will finish the game. Look for them to put their foot on Indy's neck and keep it there.
Thanks for this. Your thoughts mirror mine. I have been impressed with the overall preparation from MM's team. They seem to have the same steadiness he exhibits and just keep plugging away in accordance with their game plan. I don't think I have seen the team play down to an opponent yet and they have risen to the moment against stiffer competition.
>>overconfidence VS desperation is the formula for an upset<<
and injuries...
MM just announced running back coach Kennedy Polamalu is gone "for the year".
Wishing Kennedy and his family the best as he works through whatever they are dealing with.
"Personal reasons"... No other explanations offered.
Code. Delivered short and abrupt.
I guess it could have been JS's "personal reasons". I hadn't thought of it that way.
I suspect we will see an ass-kickn running game this Sunday. "Improving" isn't what MM demands. We have 4 games left to get to "asskickn".
Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward has been placed on IR and now they are down both of their starting CB's.
We need to run enough to keep them defending the box then downfield to JSN and Shaheed. Seahawks win 34-10 for third fifth 30+ win.
34-9, we want them kept out of the end zone.
Sounds about right to me!
Looking forward to the running battle. Taylor held under 100 in the 4 recent losses. K-9 and Charb building momentum, ready to show that a 1-2 punch is boss late season. 12s gonna roar.
In the last 4 losses, 3 rushing TDs by 3 different players. Jones was one and he is out.
Looks like MM has lost faith in the coaching of our Run Game. If accurate, we should see the start of real improvement against a weakened opponent. I saw no compassion from MM when announcing Kennedy Polamalu's departure.
"When will see him return?"
'He's gone for the year'.
Sounded like he's off Mike's desk. Setting a tone. Demanding results. Fail and you are gone, etched in stone. MM is not a creepy-nice guy.
Hmmm . . . personal reasons. Health or family maybe, don’t want to speculate much. Serious enough where he needs to leave for the season and the team isn’t saying more.
Both teams are holding opponent rushing offenses to 3.8 yards per carry. I like our chances of holding Taylor under the 100 yard threshold.
Apparently Rivers' high school team runs some version of Steichen's offense, and those two talked once a week or so about...stuff. He's still 44. I mean, it's a bad idea. If I were his insurance carrier I'd drop him the minute he's put on the active roster. But I suspect, as do others here, his job as the emergency QB, would be to hand the ball off and dump a few short passes...and hope. My guess is Leonard starts, if he's ambulatory, and Rivers only comes in if Leonard can't walk. (And Rypien's that bad, why bother taking a roster spot with him? Sheesh. And we wonder why the NFL can't develop QB talent...)
Here's Rivers at a podium today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh1Yz_FREtY
He doesn't look anywhere near game shape, but what do I know? Good luck to him after this weekend.
Wild stuff, Grant. Let loose the Dogs of War.
I think Leonard starts as well.
Rivers, in his day, was one of the best quarterbacks to grace the game. Who can forget his play in the 2007 AFC Championship Game while being hobbled by a torn ACL and meniscus?
I will be pulling for Rivers for the remainder of the year.
More proof you are smarter than I Ken. I am retired and spent a lot of quality time on my fantasy team. I am 7-7 in the 5 seed and only 4 playoff spots.
In all seriousness my biggest mistake was I had a choice in the third round between K9 and JSN and I chose wrong. JSN has 287 points K9 has 138.
That's about 11 points a week.
Oh well I think it is all good to be better in real life than fantasy.
I know there is a bad joke in there some place, but I digress.
GO HAWKS!
I think Seside Jay has a conflict of interest.
Hahaha - I read that comment yesterday and gave it a 5-star rating. She does have first-hand knowledge on this.
Tom Brady is thinking about a Week 16 return for the Raiders. The Saints are calling up Brees. Eli is prepping with the Giants. Big Ben joins up with Tomlin for one last ride. Philip Rivers is reasonable odds on to start for the Colts.
That is the correct order of likelihood. If we lose this game it'll be arguably the worst loss in NFL history.
It’s starting to feel like youth sports, when one team doesn’t have enough players show up, so the coaches agree to lend a player so the kids can still play a game. Switch jerseys, Drew?
You left out Peyton.
Haha. Sounds a bit like our Australian football ‘Legends’ match that they have each year where ex-players (with a few celebrities thrown in) get together and play each other. It’s quite funny seeing ex-now fat-players running around trying to be their former selves or just having a bit of fun. Most just look like old men trying to desperately (but unsuccessfully) hold on to their youth and glory days.
However, It’s interesting to see that there’s usually a couple that have looked after themselves post-retirement and can still play and move pretty well. Maybe Rivers is hoping for that.
I agree. Or the best coaching job in nfl history. Luckily I think it’s just the colts doing something insane again.
In listening to him, I can see the Coaching is unleashing a brand of old school QB Leadership that is missing lately, as you pointed out. I suspect we shall see the Players will be battling like hell for him, come Sunday. Could be worse: could have been the Lions...
PS: I strongly suspect our daily articles are quietly becoming favorite Reads among the Players, Ken. I don't praise your command of the subject matter enough (if ever), Ken. Full spectrum solid stuff, else I wouldn't be here. A Master of his Craft. Sounds to me like you have married well to boot, Buddy.
Many of Us Agree wtih this !
The kinder/gentler generation's Eagle's defense took it easy on Herbert's broken wrist Monday. I suspect that level of sportsmanship is perty much League-wide now. Good on you, Boyz. Noble play. There once was very real reasons QBs stayed home in their mid to late 30's. That said, I do believe Phillip's decision to get back on the field has more to do with mid-life issues than Reason. Our guys are training on zero points allowed. They are not out there to be nice, especially when threatened. Don't ask them to be, dammit.
If MM was ever going to load the box this is the game. I hope to see a lot of second downs and 9-8 yards for Colts turn into 6-8 yards third downs.