Does Colts Quarterback Philip Rivers Expect the Need to Score More Against the Browns?

INDIANAPOLIS — The Cleveland Browns have been piling up points. The Indianapolis Colts have been stingy allowing them.

While Sunday’s game at Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium might not be an offensive shootout between two AFC teams who have won three in a row after an opening loss, it’s doubtful this will be a defensive struggle.

The Browns boast the No. 4 scoring offense and No. 1 rushing offense, but they’re tied for 28th in points allowed at 28.5 per game. The Colts’ No. 1 defense is allowing just 14 points per game. The difference is, the Colts offense is just 17th in scoring (25.8-point average) and tied for 15th in rushing.

Colts quarterback Philip Rivers was asked Wednesday about if he will go into this game with the expectation that the offense must be more aggressive in scoring points because the Browns have put up 118 in three wins.

“I don’t know that you go in expecting a certain thing,” Rivers said. “I think it works both ways. Certainly, the way our defense is playing and the confidence in our defense we have, it would be crazy for me to say, ‘I would expect our D to give up a lot of points.’ No, I don’t necessarily expect it to be that, but I think as an offense – we’re all one team, but as an offense, our job is to score one more point than our defense allows. If that were to be a 35, 38, 41, whatever it is, then our job is to score one more than that. If it’s 11 then we better get 12. I think having that approach is probably the best way to go – being ready to go with how the game goes.”

The Colts have allowed 11 or fewer points during their three-game win streak. But All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard (groin) and linebacker Bobby Okereke (thumb surgery) could miss the game, Neither practiced on Wednesday. As much as the Colts pride themselves on having quality depth, not having these players could be a key factor.

“Our defense has been unbelievable,” Rivers said. “We’ve done enough offensively to win. We found a way collectively to win the game three out of the first four. That’s the objective each week, however it shakes out.”

The Colts won 19-11 at Chicago on Sunday. Rivers threw an early touchdown pass to Mo Alie-Cox. Drives stalled after that, but Rodrigo Blankenship kicked four field goals. And a Colts defense that didn’t have Leonard for the second half was still better.

The Browns won 49-38 at Dallas on Sunday. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and his offense had 31 points by halftime, The Browns’ 31-point scoring average is the highest in team history and leads the AFC. The Browns’ eight rushing touchdowns leads the league.

Colts head coach Frank Reich has spoken of how each game is different and that he adjusts his play calls accordingly. Rivers has been more of a steady game manager in the three wins because the defense has been so strong and the Colts continually played with a lead.

“It doesn’t mean that one side is more important or one side won it more this week than the other,” Rivers said. “We all win together because I think you feed off of one another depending on how the game goes. Whether that be yardage – sometimes you look at teams – Dallas was down so big, they are going to get some yards. Cleveland was a little softer in that second half knowing (Dallas) had to make up 28 points-plus or whatever. You see a bunch of yardage gained, but that can be deceiving as well.

"That’s the long way of saying, we have to find a way to score one more point than our D allows. So far, that hasn’t been very many, but we are prepared to do whatever we need to do.”

So expect Rivers and Reich to enter Sunday with the mindset that they will be prepared to keep their feet down and play aggressively unless the situation of the game dictates otherwise.

“I think that’s one thing – we did it obviously in unison with the defense,” Rivers said of the winning streak. “They scored twice against the Jets. We were able to kind of really close that one out. Last week, we had some opportunities and didn’t really close it out soon enough. The four-minute drive, I say four minutes, I think there were 11 minutes on the clock when we had it. That’s a big-time drive to make it 19-3, but we had some other opportunities in the red zone where we can score touchdowns and make it a three-score game early, and we didn’t do that.

“Definitely, when we have opportunities to either put the game out of reach or score touchdowns, we need to make sure we get that done.”

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)