Stampede Blue
8-7, season basically over, no 1st round picks for the next two seasons, and yet another season without playoffs for Steichen & Ballard. This one was to be expected, the Niners are a very good football team, with an excellent head coach, and the result of the game was never really in doubt. On to next year.
What a game from Philip Rivers. I never expected him to come in and be as competent as he was, and against the Niners he was actually good. The What if he never retired in 2020 and kept on playing with that young core at the time is another hypotethical scenario that will haunt the franchise.
I had Pierce as one of the biggest losers from Rivers being the starting quarterback because the old timer cannot throw the ball more than 20-yards down the field, but he showed some zip remaining on that arm yesterday, and Pierce finished the game with over 75 yards and two touchdowns, and is rounding up his best season as a pro, right on his contract year.
While the offense finally showed some signs of life, the defense seems to have forgotten everything they did right against the Seahawks, and completely rolled on their backs, allowing 41-points (a Niners touchdown came on a pick-six late in the game). Clearly missing their two starting cornerbacks, there was no way of hiding just how bad the linebackers are in coverage, which made it easier for the Niners to run the ball, and there was just no answer whatsoever. If the defense needs two All-Pro cornerbacks to work consistently, it is probably not a good defense. This offseason the Colts need another pass-rusher to pair with Latu, and a linebacker with competent coverage skills.
There was a glimmer of hope there, that perhaps the Colts would manage to deliver a statement win putting them back in the playoff race. Rivers was throwing the ball well, the offense was clicking, and if the defense had showed up to play then perhaps the outcome would have been a different one and we would be celebrating here instead of looking at another wasted season. Also just my two cents, but if Rivers comes in after five years of retirement and plays better than I have ever seen Richardson play a two-game stretch it is time to move on.
Touchdown- Touchdown – Touchdown- FG – Missed FG – Touchdown – FG – Touchdown – Interception. Those were the Niners’ offensive drives during the game. How this was close during some times is beyond me, because this defensive performance is among the worst I have ever seen in my life from the Colts, and even worse it came in a game they had to win to stay in the playoff race,...
