Philip Rivers Likes Process of Learning Nuances of Indianapolis Colts Offense
INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers assures he’s not the least bit concerned about having to rely upon an offseason of virtual meetings instead of camp workouts to pick up the Indianapolis Colts offense and its players.
The 17th-year quarterback credits offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni for structuring the communication in such a way that both Rivers and his new teammates can come together on what’s expected. Sirianni as well as Colts head coach Frank Reich worked with Rivers as Chargers assistants, so there’s familiarity with the newcomer.
“We will go through routes, (and Sirianni) is showing clips,” Rivers said in a recent Zoom video call. “He is asking (wide receiver) T.Y. (Hilton), ‘Teach us this route.’ So T.Y. goes and then Nick explains the whole concept and he’ll say, ‘Philip, tell us anything else you want to add.’ There is that dialogue so that we are seeing it the same way. ‘T.Y., if they do this I’m expecting you to do this right here.’ So there’s been some good conversation and interaction in these meetings. It hasn’t just been a coach presenting and a bunch of guys sitting there and listening.
“It has been very interactive so I think that helps when Nick says, ‘Hey Nyheim (Hines), what are you going to do if a guy plays you like this? What are you doing?’ I’m thinking, ‘I hope he says this,’ because I’m seeing it.”
When Rivers moved his family to Indianapolis last month, he started throwing sessions with Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle and second-year wide receiver Parris Campbell. Then the 38-year-old passer organized unsupervised team workouts to get more teammates together.
Before that, he was working on his connection with players, most notably Hilton, a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.
“Shoot, T.Y. and I message back and forth,” Rivers said. “I send him pictures of my son throwing routes and he is sending me videos of his son running routes and vice versa. So that’s been fun.
“Nyheim, (I’ve message) on a few things here and there. Shoot, I’ve failed to connect with every guy, but I try to reach out the best I can to the guys over this period of time.”
The Colts drafted wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor in the second round to bolster an offense that ranked seventh in rushing but struggled to throw the ball down the field. One of the NFL’s best offensive lines, which didn’t miss a 2019 start, returns intact.
So everything is in place for Rivers to thrive in a balanced offense that doesn’t require him to be the hero with risky passes. He was forced to throw when losing with the Chargers last year, and that’s largely responsible for the eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback having 20 interceptions.
Rivers, who signed for $25 million in a one-year deal, exudes confidence that he’ll bounce back with the Colts.
“Colts fans should expect a real versatile, dynamic attack,” he said. “The one thing I can say that has been confirmed is the guys up front and the way we run the football is pretty awesome. We are all excited about that. I’m fired up about that. So that’s where it starts and usually good things come from that.
“We are going to be very multiple and very dynamic. I think with my time with Frank and Nick both, the one thing I know about Frank is – I was with him once and we threw it 65 times and we came up just short, but that was what we needed to do to win that game. We didn’t get it done, but that was the recipe. I also know that we will throw it 18 (times) and hand it off a bunch, too. It will be whatever it takes to win that week. That’s certainly what I believe in as well.”
Rivers and the Colts are hopeful their marriage will extend beyond 2020.
“I’m super excited to be a part of the group,” he said. “It’s been awesome and I haven’t even stepped foot in the building yet.”
(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.)
