Colts: 3 reasons to be optimistic about Philip Rivers in Week 6

2. Cincy Can’t Get After the Quarterback

The Bengals have struggled at pressuring opposing quarterbacks this season.

After being viewed before the season as a likely weakness of the team, Cincinnati’s defense has surprisingly held up well through the first five weeks, falling near the middle of the pack in terms of points allowed per game. The group has also been unkind to opposing quarterbacks, ranking ninth in the NFL in yards conceded per game (228.6).

Fortunately for the Colts, however, Cincy’s defense struggles at the one thing that gives Rivers the most fits: Getting after the quarterback. For the season, the Bengals are mustering just 1.8 sacks per game, which ranks in the bottom third of the league. They also come in at 29th in QB knockdowns (seven) and 26th in QB pressures (37).

Last week, the Browns put consistent pressure on Rivers and he responded in one of two ways — miserably failing at avoiding it, or stepping up in the pocket and forcing an ill-advised pass into tight coverage. Based on these statistics, the veteran gunslinger should have nothing but time to go through his progressions against Cincinnati, and that is absolutely a strong reason to be optimistic about him heading into the weekend.