[sherck]

The only thing that makes sense to me to start a 44-year-old Phillip Rivers is that Ballard was told by CIG at the beginning of the season "playoffs or fired."

Playing Rivers does nothing to help the Colts long term. He will be back coaching HS football in 2026. We make no discovery on either Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson by them riding the bench.

So, this decision to play Rivers is all about trying to make the playoffs.

How likely is that?

[BREAK BREAK]
I was doing a LONG post about our chances to overtake Houston for the #7 seed and was down to the 5th tiebreaker when I realized that it was beyond me.

Bottom line....Indy HAS to beat both JAX and HOU to have a chance based on tiebreakers. A loss to either dooms us.

I think we pretty much have to beat SF as well to have a realistic chance but there is a world where the Texans drop both LAC and IND and we can get away with a loss to SF.

So, it is not for sure over with a loss to SF but then the cards need to align just right for us to have a shot.