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

Here are three reasons why Colts fans should be optimistic about QB Philip Rivers in Week 6.

Fans in Indianapolis have been engulfed in a state of panic following the Colts’ loss to Cleveland in Week 5, and you know what? We really don’t blame them. After all, the consensus immediate reaction was that they would have come out on top if they’d had a more responsible quarterback under center, as two Philip Rivers interceptions — plus a boneheaded safety — ultimately resulted in nine Browns points.

Ironically enough, that was precisely the amount that Indianapolis lost by. As much as we would have liked to defend Rivers from the mountain of criticism he’s received from fans and media members this week, his play was so poor that it simply wasn’t possible.

With so many people calling for Rivers’ job, head coach Frank Reich actually answered questions about whether he was considering benching him. It goes without saying that Rivers has his flaws and we were never really sold on giving him $25 million, but we never would have guessed his evident decline in 2019 would drastically worsen after joining a team in Indianapolis which boasts a superior offensive line and rushing attack to that of the Chargers.

With all of that being said and amid all of the questions about whether signing Rivers was the right move by general manager Chris Ballard, however, there’s still plenty of reasons out there to be optimistic about him heading into Week 6 against a 1-3 Bengals team that is fresh off getting trounced by Baltimore.

Here are three that stick out the most.

3. His Tendency to Bounce Back

Colts QB Philip Rivers tends to deliver his best games amid adversity.

One thing that Rivers doesn’t get enough credit for is his perseverance. People forget that he came into the league back in 2004 as a gunslinger in every sense of the word. His fearlessness in a collapsing pocket and willingness to fit throws into tight windows is part of what made him such an intriguing prospect coming out of North Carolina State.

Though nobody thought it would become this concerning, Rivers was always expected to drive coaches mad with his turnovers. However, he admirably hasn’t let it define his career. Since becoming the Chargers’ full-time starter in 2006, the former No. 4 overall pick has thrown less than 10 interceptions just twice in 15 seasons. How many signal callers would let those struggles consume them and ultimately derail their respective careers?

Rivers has probably had dozens of games like Week 5 against Cleveland when his turnovers were solely responsible for his team’s loss. It says a lot about the 38-year-old’s resilience that he’s still here and playing (mostly) at a starting-caliber level.

A number of Colts fans are probably writing him off on the heels of his putrid performance last Sunday, and understandably so. However, we would advise against doing so, as Rivers has proven throughout his career that he is capable of bouncing back.

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.

1. Bengals Can’t Stop the Run

The Bengals soft run defense could lessen Rivers’ workload on Sunday.

If we’ve learned one thing about the Colts through five weeks, it’s that they cannot win games in which they fail to establish the run. Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that both of Indianapolis’ losses this season came when Rivers was asked to drop back to pass 30 or more times.

In Week 1 against Jacksonville, Rivers finished 36-of-46 (!) for 363 yards and one touchdown compared to two interceptions, which ultimately ended up costing the Colts a chance at winning the game. In Week 5 versus the Browns, the eight-time Pro Bowler completed 21 of 33 pass attempts for 243 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Like Week 1, both of Rivers’ turnovers resulted in Indianapolis having an insurmountable deficit to overcome.

Luckily for the Colts, they shouldn’t have to rely heavily on Rivers this weekend, as Cincinnati has one of the worst run defenses in the entire NFL. For the season, the Bengals rank 30th in both rushing yards allowed per game (159) and yards per attempt (5.2). If there was ever a time for rookie Jonathan Taylor and Indy’s struggling running game to get back on track, it’s on Sunday.

The stars are literally aligning for the Colts to ride dominating time of possession and a sound defensive performance, which is evidently their identity, to a victory against an inferior Bengals side.

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