The Colts had trouble bridging the gap from Andrew Luck at q from seestyle's blog

The Colts had trouble bridging the gap from Andrew Luck at quarterback last season. With Philip Rivers starting in 2020, Indianapolis is 5-3 going into the Week 10 Thursday night division battle at Tenne see and in AFC playoff contention under coach Frank Reich again.After finishing 7-9 with Jacoby Bri sett in 2019, the Colts decided to turn to the 38-year-old Rivers, signing him soon after he was released by his previous only NFL team, the Chargers, in March.In an offseason whenTom Brady, Teddy Bridgewater, Nick Foles, Pittsburgh Steelers Jackets Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco and Cam Newton all changed teams, the Colts seemed to lock into their veteran QB replacement early. Here's a lookback at Indianapolis' reasoning for rolling with Rivers and the results so far:MORE:Why the Colts' signing of Philip Rivers made senseBri sett played at an average level last season. He wasn't much different from the younger QB who also started 15 times in 2017. He struggled to push the ball downfield and put up very similar numbers as a limited rusher.The Colts signed Bri sett through 2020 thinking he might be the short-term answer. But in the end, the dropoff to 7-9 from a 10-6 wild-card team in Luck's final season was unacceptable, given Indianapolis' strengths in its winning formula of running game and defense.Bridge QB situations tend to occur when there is a previous relationship with the coaching staff. For the Colts, it was Reich, who served as Rivers' quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator for the Chargers from 2013-'15.Rivers was rather efficient working with Reich with high volume when in San Diego, but it was a bit of mixed bag Carlos Davis Jersey with Rivers struggling with pre sure and having his typical sporadic spike in interceptions. After Reich left San Diego for Philadelphia, Rivers three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons under replacement coordinatorKen Whisenhunt, the last two for offensive-minded head coach Anthony Lynn.There was hope Rivers could have one more late-career resurgence after going through more turnover troubles in 2019, getting a fresh boost from Reich's run-heavy system with a better line and a more diverse short-to-intermediate receiving corps. He hasn't quite lived up to that hope. The referenced media source is mi sing and needs to be re-embedded.But Rivers did come with a few question marksRivers did show some declining arm strength and got back into me sy gunslinging for the Chargers in 2019,to the point hitting 20 interceptions for the third time in his career couldn't be outweighed with enough big pa s plays. In relation now,the older Brady looks sharp in making all the throws for the Buccaneers, while the younger Bridgewater has been more efficient and effective having the same kind of supporting cast with the Panthers.Rivers, even with the league's mostpristine pa s protection, is well below Brady, Bridgewater and Foles in air yards. He's not ripping it up downfield and has Pittsburgh Steelers Sleepwear Underwear 7 interceptions to go with 10 TD pa ses. He is slightly better than his slumping 2019, but not by much. He's become a care-taking distributor for a team that prefers to win with ball control and sometimes dominant defense from every level.Rivers does fit better what Reich and Nick Sirianni want to do offensively, vs. Bri sett, who was picked up for a different brand of West Coast scheme as an initial injuryfill-in for Luck in JuJu Smith-Schuster Jersey '17. But to say it's a great return on investment with QB play is a stretch as Rivers' overall play is below average.What is Philip Rivers' contract with the Colts?Rivers was signed to a one-year deal worth $25 million. All of the money was guaranteed, like the $20 million Bri sett got in September 2019. Rivers got $12 million of that in signing bonus.In terms of average annual salary for this single season, Rivers ranks No. 14, behind the Lions' Matthew Stafford ($27 million) and Washington's Alex Smith ($23.5 million). Consider that ties with Rivers with three QBs of note who have performed considerably better than him in 2020: Brady, the Raiders' Derek Carr and the Saints' Drew Brees.MORE: Will the Colts re-sign Philip Rivers?Rivers will turn 39 Dan Moore Jr. Jersey in December with age and wear continuing to become bigger factors. There's nothing that says Rivers is the best QB option for Indianapolis in 2021. Bri sett is also headed to free agency.The Colts could turn the position over to rookie fourth-rounder Jacob Eason in his second year, but it's more likely they tap intothe 2021 draft for a longer-term solution. Even if they pick in the latter half of the first round, at a viable rookiefranchise QB, such as Alabama's Mac Jones or Florida's Kyle Trask.There are twoways the season can finishfor the Colts and the Rivers. The first is, he plays better in the second half, helping his team secure the AFC South title over the Titans. The second is, he deterioratesand the Colts also lose a wild-card position. Either way, Indianapolis should realize it has a limited ceiling with Rivers, not resembling their potential with Luck. That should point to them targeting their true succe sor next year.