The Seattle Seahawks are 10-3 and in contention for NFC leadership, while the Indianapolis Colts are 8-5 but are hoping to end their three-game losing streak on the road. Injuries are likely to play their part with a surprising twist related to the quarterback position.

The Colts will be without All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner for the second consecutive week. He is sidelined with a calf injury that kept him out of practice for the entire week. Gardner suffered the non-contact calf strain only two plays into the Colts’ Week 13 home game against the Texans.

Gardner’s departure significantly impacted the Colts’ initial defensive strategy, with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo having to rework the coverage assignments with the Texans’ wide receivers in mind. Gardner’s loss is the latest blow to a Colts team that is missing both starting corners against one of the more prolific passing attacks in the NFL.

Gardner’s absence means that Mekhi Blackmon and Johnathan Edwards are likely to be the Colts’ key boundary corners in Seattle. This is even more worrisome given the fact that the Seahawks have elite receivers who can stretch the ball horizontally as well as vertically.

Meanwhile, the ripple effects of Gardner’s injury continue to spread. In Week 13, it was left to All-Pro corner Charvarius Ward to shadow Nico Collins after Gardner got injured. Collins accumulated 98 yards on five receptions, while Ward surrendered six catches for 112 yards to the nearest defender as he is still finding his rhythm back after being activated from IR after his second concussion of the year.

Ward again suited up for practice last week against Jacksonville, yielding three receptions for 64 yards on a total of seven targets. However, the next day, he notified the coaching staff about some frequent symptoms of a concussion, eventually putting him on the injured reserve list for the upcoming regular season games.

Notably, the decision was made not to send Gardner to IR after the Texans game, indicating hope that it would be a temporary situation. This hope quickly dissipated as Gardner was not back for practice on Wednesday or Thursday, and never seemed to be moving in the correct direction before the team left for their game with the Seahawks.

Will Philip Rivers Play?

Yes, and it looks like he’ll start.

The Colts activated Philip Rivers from their practice squad to their active squad of 53 on Saturday, paving the way for the quarterback to return to play this upcoming game on Sunday for the team as they face the Seattle Seahawks.

Rivers retired after the 2020 season.

Top Stories

NFL Announces Punishment for Shedeur Sanders Incident

NFL Announces Final Punishment Decision for Patrick Mahomes Incident Against Texans

Ex-NFL GM Tore Up Antonio Brown’s Contract & Nullified Guarantees After Wild Helicopter Incident

NFL Announces Punishment For Jared Goff Incident After Verdict on Cowboys Star

Zac Taylor Receives Unfortunate $56.5M News on Trading Away Joe Burrow Amid Bengals QB’s Frustrations

At first, Rivers was signed to the practice squad, but he had to be moved to the active list. This promotion is significant in terms of Hall of Fame eligibility since his return postpones his eligibility until 2031.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen refrained from announcing a starter formally on Friday but announced that Rivers was leaning that way, given his practice performance.

“I’ll say it was pretty good,” Steichen said. “A guy that hasn’t been out there in five years, to go and practice the way he did this week was pretty impressive to watch.”

“He’s here to be a great leader, a great teammate, go out there, operate the offense, get us in and out of the right plays. And that’s the process, and that’s the way he’s taken it, flowing with it one day at a time,”  Steichen added.

The Colts have also managed to temper their expectations.

What’s at stake?

Despite their current struggles, the Colts are the fifth-highest-scoring team at 28.9 points per game. Their defense has been good but unpredictable, allowing 21.9 points per game, which rates 13th among NFL teams.

Seattle presents a formidable challenge, boasting an offense that ranks second in the league (29.8 ppg) and an equally dominant defense, also ranking second by allowing a mere 17.4 ppg.

Meanwhile, Seattle is fighting for NFC West leadership with the Rams. Due to Sauce Gardner being sidelined, Charvarius Ward being on IR, and Philip Rivers’ surprising return to action, this week’s game is far less predictable than their records would indicate.

Experience, toughness, and a little bit of magic may be what it takes for Indianapolis to head back to Seattle with its season intact.