Heading into Week 15, the biggest story in the NFL was the return of veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, who started for the Indianapolis Colts against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. His last start in the league came way back in January of 2021 – nearly five years ago.
Considering the extended layoff, Rivers, 44, looked okay against Seattle. He threw for 120 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Unfortunately for Rivers though, his return game didn’t get a storybook ending, as the Seahawks pulled out a 18-16 win over Indianapolis.
After the game, Rivers reacted to his first start in nearly half a decade. He expressed gratitude for being able to play again, but disappointment in the ultimate outcome of the contest.
“I was just thankful — grateful — that I was out there,” Rivers said. “And it was a blast — it was a blast — but obviously the emotions now are disappointment. This isn’t about me. We have a team scrapping like crazy to try and stay alive and get into the postseason.
"It was a real blessing to be back out there with the guys," Rivers added. "But obviously this is about the Colts and the Seahawks, and we didn't find a way to get it done. And certainly, a few plays here and there I'd like back. But all in all, we just didn't find a way."
The loss dropped the Colts to 8-6 on the season and further clouded their path to the playoffs. They're not eliminated yet, but it's not necessarily looking good. They now have just a 16 percent chance of qualifying for postseason play, per NFL.com.
Indianapolis has three regular season games remaining. They come against the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans. Rivers thinks that he and the Colts will continue to improve, but he knows that time isn't on their side at this late stage of the season.
"If I can stay healthy, I feel good and it is going to get better as we go," Rivers said. "But the catch is that we've got to win. It doesn't really matter if it's getting better as we go if we don't win because it's going to be over in three weeks. So that's the catch there."
Rivers led the Colts to the playoffs back in 2020 during his lone season with the team prior to his current stint. That was the last time they made the postseason. It will be interesting to see if he can do it again.