When it was announced that the 44-year-old Philip Rivers would come out of retirement and start for the 8-5 Indianapolis Colts in a pivotal game against the Seattle Seahawks, fans across the NFL couldn’t help but root for him to succeed.
Well, most of them at least.
In the grand scheme of the AFC playoff picture, the one team that needed a Colts loss the most was the Houston Texans, who beat the Arizona Cardinals 40-20 earlier in the day to clinch a 9-5 record. Any Indianapolis loss would significantly increase their own playoff hopes, and thanks to some late heroics from the Seattle Seahawks, the Texans finished the day with a statistically superb chance of making the playoffs, even if it isn’t official yet.
Houston now have a 95% chance of making the playoffs thanks to the Seahawks and their late heroics
Indianapolis led for most of this match, partly thanks to their defense and an early touchdown pass from Rivers, but Seattle completed the comeback thanks to six field goals to win the game 18-16. With this result, the Texans’ playoff qualification probability jumped up to 95%, with the Colts plummeting to 17% according to the NFL’s playoff picture.
JASON MYERS' 6TH FG PUTS SEATTLE BACK IN FRONT!
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2025
INDvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/JRitPOVOrj
The Texans have a date with the Las Vegas Raiders next week, while the Colts will face off against the 49ers. With each passing week, the Colts continue to implode, which is amazing news for a Texans squad that is trying to make the playoffs after an 0-3 start for the second time in franchise history.
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