SEATTLE – Four instant impressions after the Seahawks held off the Colts 18-16.
A Rivers runs through it
Can we take a moment and appreciate what Philip Rivers did in this game? Pulled off the high school practice field at age 44, Rivers did everything asked of him to put the Colts in position to pull off as unlikely an upset as has been seen in recent NFL history.
He became one of five QBs in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass at age 44 or older, joining Tom Brady, Vinny Testaverde, Steve DeBerg and George Blanda. He took hits and got up. He made a handful of key throws when he needed to, even if the ball took a little bit longer than it used to in getting to his pass catchers.
Rivers commanded and directed the game the same way he did for most of his career, which after five years away might be the most remarkable accomplishment.
There were plenty of jokes made this week about Rivers being asked to take on this task at this stage of his career. We should all be applauding what he did.
Controlled up front
For one of the first times this season, the Seahawks defensive line couldn’t control the line of scrimmage.
That’s a credit to Indy’s offensive line and its ability to not only protect Rivers but also create lanes for the Colts’ run game. Jonathan Taylor didn’t get to 100 yards and Seattle was able to extend its streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher to 23 games – one shy of the franchise record. But his ability to get 4 and 5 yards regularly, especially in the first half, allowed Indy to shorten the game, take some of the load off Rivers’ shoulders and make it a grind-it-out kind of afternoon.
One of the strengths of this Seattle defense this season has been the ability to create pressure without needing to bring extra rushers. Maybe in hindsight it would have proved better for Seattle to commit more bodies to the line of scrimmage and put even more on Rivers to try and find a way to move the offense.
Kicking consistency off the charts
In the span of 30 seconds, Blake Grupe hit a 60-yard field goal to give Indianapolis the lead, only to watch Jason Myers answer from 56 yards to give the Seahawks the victory.
The consistency of kickers hitting from 50-plus yards – and even more so kicks from 60 yards – really feels like one of the underappreciated stories in the league this season.
Also, if there was ever a case for Myers as a Pro Bowl or perhaps All-Pro selection, it was this game, going 6 for 6 on field goals with four of them from beyond 45 yards.
Now we can talk about Thursday
The Colts felt like a trap game. They were using a quarterback that hadn’t played in the NFL in five years and was recently coaching a high school team. The betting line ballooned to nearly two touchdowns. The Seahawks had completely overmatched their last two opponents in the second half, allowing a total of nine points in wins over Minnesota and Atlanta.
And there was that little blockbuster NFC West showdown looming next Thursday night at home against the Rams.
Every ingredient was there for a dud of a performance by the Seahawks and in some ways it came true.
But the Seahawks survived and now all the attention can turn to the Rams.
Regular season games don’t get much bigger than this. One could argue it’ll be the biggest regular season game at home with fans (2020 COVID season notwithstanding) since the 2019 regular season finale against San Francisco that decided the NFC West title.
Thursday’s game with the Rams has the all the makings of a classic. But without question, the Seahawks must play better than they did against the Colts if they are to beat the Rams for only the second time in the last six meetings.