Landing Spot:
Philip Rivers is heading out of Los Angles and headed to Indianapolis. There he will reunite with Nick Sirianni and Frank Reich, two of his former coaches while he played for the Chargers. Sirianni was an offensive assistant for the Chargers for 5 seasons and is now the OC for the Colts. Reich was the OC for the Chargers for two years, and he also was the QB coach for LA when Rivers led the NFL in completion percentage. It is safe to say that Rivers will be very familiar with his new coaching staff.
How the new team will be affected
The Colts finished the season 2-7 last year which is disastrous. In 5 of those games, the Colts were held to under 20. In all 5 of those, they would also lose. The defense is certainly a problem for this team, but the improved offense may be able to take the pressure off the D.
River’s experience and weapons will help him lead this Colts offense to more points. Phillip will have to transfer from Kenan Allen to T.Y. Hilton as his WR1 target. When he was with the Chargers, Rivers passed the ball to Allen a lot. Allen had had 95 or more receptions for the past 3 years with Rivers throwing him the ball. Last time TY had that type of volume in receptions he had a career high 1,448 yards which was back in 2016.
T.Y. had 700 fewer yards last year than in 2018 after consistently putting up around 1000 yards per season for 6 years in a row. His production has decreased recently as he has gotten hurt and missed games in the past 2 years. If T.Y can stay healthy this team looks good on offense with Phillip at the helm.
How old team be affected
The Chargers are in the Tom Brady sweepstakes and shouldn’t be worried about replacing the veteran just yet. The fans will certainly miss the 16 season QB, but replacing him with Brady will certainly make everyone happy. Many analysts think that Tom will head over to LA, but I wouldn’t be too sure yet as his free agency has been unpredictable. Without Brady, the Chargers have a capable QB in Tyrod Taylor. Taylor is a solid backup and could pick up where Rivers left off. The Chargers could also go into the draft and grab a QB there. With Miami being interested in Love, Tua could be an option for LA. The offense last year wasn’t very good, not to mention that for the first part of last year the Chargers spent the season without Melvin Gordan. Their struggles early lead to problems throughout the year for the LA offense. Whoever is at QB next year will have to make sure this offense is focused and ready to compete, otherwise they are going to have another up and down year.
Is the player worth the amount of money
Rivers signed a one year 25 million dollar deal with the Indianapolis Colts. This is a great deal for Phillip and worth it for the Colts. He earns the 16th most among QBS which is about what he is worth.
Fantasy value/Stats
Phillip Rivers had a great year in fantasy last year, he was a low QB1 to high QB2 throughout the past year. He had 23 passing touchdowns and only had one game where he scored below 10 points according to CBS sports. He has slowly been on the decline in fantasy leagues and this year marks his lowest total since 2012. Expect a better year from Phillip as his OC and HC both know him very well. Not to mention that Rivers has another star receiver in T.Y. Hilton who will help his stats. The main category Phillip decreased in is TDs which may not increase due to the Colts running the ball especially inside the 5. Although Rivers and this offense are dangerous and the touchdown production could increase. Phillip will be a low end QB1, Hilton will be a WR2, and the RBs will be low end RB2s with Mack getting the bulk of the carries.
Playoff chances
The new Colts will definitely make a run at the playoffs with their new offense but will they make it? The defense needs to improve but I think this team has the potential to make the playoffs. They will be able to take out their division with the exception of the Titans. If they can get past Tennesse then they should easily be in the playoffs with a weak division. The loss of DeAndre Hopkins will pretty much take Houston out of the playoff picture unless they sign a big free agent or draft a wideout early. The AFC wildcard will be crowded but the Colts will definitely be in the race.
Prediction
The Colts will be fighting for the division with the Titans and just maybe the Texans if they can find a WR. The Colts offense I think can win the division if they can beat the Titans defense. If they do, they will send a team of veterans into the playoffs to face younger talent. I don’t expect the Colts to make it further than that even with the new QB, but experience may be able to weigh out talent. Watch out for Colts especially in close, important games.
Top Picture by David Eulitt/Getty Images
Hope he can turn the Colts
Hope he can turn the Colts around.