Indianapolis — Quarterback Philip Rivers returned from retirement with the aim of guiding the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs. However, after two games back, their chances of postseason play are dwindling. In a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Rivers initially energized the crowd, but a critical interception late in the game changed the tide. Linebacker Dee Winter seized the opportunity, returning the interception 74 yards for a touchdown with just over three minutes remaining, sealing a 48-27 victory for the 49ers and possibly jeopardizing the Colts” playoff aspirations.
“There”s no prize for losing,” Rivers stated. “I know this locker room is hurting again. I”ve been part of it for a short time, two losses, and I know it”s been a long slide now for over a month. We”ve just got to find a way to dig deep and win a football game.” The veteran quarterback appeared revitalized, showing flashes of his younger days after a full week of practice. He led the Colts (8-7) to a score on their opening possession, launching a deep pass on the first play of the game and displaying his trademark competitive spirit.
Rivers completed 23 of 35 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns, despite facing a challenging situation with an offensive line that was missing both starting tackles and lost center Tanor Bortolini just three plays into the game. The Colts” defense struggled significantly, allowing 440 total yards and failing to force a single punt throughout the game, marking their first loss of the season when scoring more than 20 points.
While Rivers did not assign blame, he faced a spirited defense from young players eager to impress. “Playing against him didn”t seem real,” Winter remarked. “To be able to get a Pick-6 off of him, all I heard was my heartbeat and my adrenaline was running.” Rivers found a rhythm against the 49ers” defense, which anticipated a run-heavy strategy, yet he instead frequently connected with Josh Downs, who recorded five receptions for 65 yards, and Alec Pierce, who had four catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Both wide receivers were not on the roster when Rivers last played at Lucas Oil Stadium in January 2021.
“I thought he played really good except that one play at the end,” said coach Shane Steichen. “But I thought he was on fire the whole game. He threw it to the right spots every time.” As the game progressed and the Colts fell behind late in the fourth quarter, Rivers fumbled the ball during a sack, compounding his earlier mistake. “The name of the game is winning, and that”s what they did. They got it done,” Rivers reflected. “I do feel like offensively we”re going to move the ball. Our job is to score more points than the other team, whatever that number may be. Last week, it was 18, and we didn”t get it done. This week, it would have been 41 if I hadn”t thrown the Pick-6, and we still didn”t get it done.”
