Stampede Blue
The Indianapolis Colts are in the Emerald City this weekend, facing the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. The game has playoff implications for both teams, but the biggest story is the return of long-retired Philip Rivers. Colts QB Daniel Jones tore his Achilles tendon and went on IR earlier this week. Backup Riley Leonard suffered a knee injury and the team signed Rivers out of retirement. The team activated him on Saturday and he’s expected to start an NFL game for the first time in five years.
This is a critical week for the Colts with their playoff hopes taking a hit the past three weeks. They still have a shot, but the limitations around a Rivers-led offense creates plenty of work for them. They head into the game as a 13.5-point underdog.
The Colts and Texans are tied a game back of the Jaguars in the division stands. The Texans hold the tiebreaker edge due to their one head-to-head meeting, but they do still square off in Week 18. The Colts also get one more game against the Jaguars, at home in Week 17.
This week, the Jaguars host the Jets and are a 13.5-point favorite, while the Texans host the Cardinals and are a 9.5-point favorite.
The Colts are on the outside looking in at the Wild Card race. They need to overcome the tiebreaker with the Texans, but also sit a game back of the Chargers and Bills for the top two spots. Indy beat LA, but has not played Buffalo. On Sunday, the Chargers are facing the Chiefs as a 5.5-point road underdog, while the Bills are 1.5-point road favorites against the Patriots. The Ravens, Chiefs, and Dolphins are all tied two games back of the Colts.
