Though the Indianapolis Colts (4-2) didn’t plan to go with a pass-heavy approach in the 31-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals (1-4-1), but quarterback Philip Rivers didn’t give them much of a choice.
Thanks to an early game script that had the Colts down 21-0 just after the start of the second quarter and with the way Rivers looked, head coach Frank Reich felt comfortable putting the ball in the hands of the 38-year-old quarterback.
“You don’t want to totally throw the game plan away but just kind of went to more of a pass emphasis and Philip (Rivers) was in the zone,” Reich said after the game. “You could feel it, you could see it, and I just felt like any pass we were going to call, he was going to find a way to get a completion and make plays – just put it in his hands at that point.”
Rivers had easily his best game since joining the Colts this offseason. The veteran finished completing 29 of 44 passes for 371 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 105.4 passer rating. Even on the interception, it was a good time for the Colts to take a deep shot.
The game didn’t start well with tight end Jack Doyle fumbling a screen pass on the second play from scrimmage. But Rivers settled in and Reich felt he could put the game in his quarterback’s hands.
“We always want to start out mixing it up. With the way we scripted the start and – obviously, we fumbled and turned it over, and they had a few good drives. Then we just had to get into pass mode,” Reich said. “You could just feel that we were protecting well, and that we knew we had to win in tight coverage. I felt like the receivers made some plays. We didn’t make them all. Obviously, we left a few out there, but it just felt like we got into a groove. It felt like Philip (Rivers) carried us through that and got us up over the hump.”
The Colts now enter their bye week with a 4-2 record and a big schedule coming up in the second half. They hope they don’t have to lean on Rivers for every game but it’s nice to see he can tap into his old self if needed.
