The Indianapolis Colts have been the talk of the NFL heading into Week 15, and it’s because they signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers to their practice squad. There’s also a chance that Rivers starts for Indy on Sunday, when the team plays the Seattle Seahawks.
Between the Seahawks being one of the best teams in the league and the reeling Colts possibly going into battle with Rivers under center, people aren’t giving Indianapolis a chance to win the game.
While the Seahawks are favored to win for good reason, they do have a weakness the Colts could capitalize on. Seattle, despite being 10-3 with a high-scoring offense, struggles to protect the football. The Indianapolis defense, on the other hand, consistently takes the ball away. If Indy can generate some turnovers on Sunday, they could pull out a win, regardless of who is under center.
Colts path to victory against Seahawks will be forcing turnovers
On the season, Seattle is averaging 29.8 points per game — No. 2 in the NFL. Simply put, the Seahawks offense is a lot to deal with. Unfortunately for them, the Seahawks are also No. 2 in the NFL in turnovers with 23.
Seattle has thrown 12 interceptions on the season and lost 11 fumbles. The NFC West team has been able to win in spite of this flaw, but it’s hard to consistently overcome turnovers.
The Colts have been producing takeaways all season, entering Week 15 with 18 forced turnovers on the season. That number ranks Indianapolis eighth in the NFL, as the team has recorded 12 interceptions and six recovered fumbles.
Additionally, the Colts have at least one takeaway in each game this season. They might need three or more in Week 15.
To win on Sunday, Indianapolis will have to continue that streak and also get more than one takeaway. Forcing turnovers would give the Indianapolis offense short fields and more opportunities, giving them the chance to put easy points on the board with a new quarterback.
If the defense can take advantage of Seattle’s main weakness, and the offense can capitalize, the Colts could end their three-game losing streak.