What’s No. 1 Key to Colts Offense?

The Indianapolis Colts had a strong rushing attack in 2019, then added quarterback Philip Rivers, who likes to dump off passes to running backs. What’s stopping defenses from crowding the box? Rivers throwing the ball down the field.

INDIANAPOLIS — The blueprint for the Indianapolis Colts' offensive success centers on quarterback Philip Rivers using his 16 seasons of NFL smarts to react quickly in taking advantage of whatever defenses are giving him.

If you’re defending against this Colts offense, what is the most likely game plan? The Colts were seventh in rushing last season, and added rookie running back Jonathan Taylor in the second round. An offensive line led by All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly returns intact. And Rivers is known for making check-down throws to running backs.

So the initial inclination is that when the Colts visit the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Sept. 13 season opener, the Jags will crowd the defensive box to try to take away the Colts’ strength. And that means Rivers has to be able to throw the ball down the field for some chunk plays to open up run lanes and create room for those check-down passes to be effective.

That’s one of the key reasons the Colts signed Rivers for $25 million for 2020. The 38-year-old passer has never been shy about taking chances down the field. And that’s what Jacoby Brissett didn’t do enough in 2019.

Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, who along with head coach Frank Reich helped Rivers thrive when they were together in San Diego, is confident the passer will force defenses to back off.

“Philip will definitely push the ball down the field,” Sirianni said in a Zoom video call last week. “When he gets that opportunity to throw it down the field, he will. What’s unique about Philip though is, once they take away what they took away, he finds the back, or he finds his underneath route. We’re trying to push it down the field first in most cases, in a lot of cases, but it’s the secondary – did they take it away? Just in the matter of taking what the defense gives us.

“There might be a game Phil (Wilson) where we’re pushing it down the field. The defense is giving us that, but there are also games where we understand that we go in there and say, ‘Hey, try and push it downfield, but we’re not going to force anything. Take what the defense gives us.’ I just think that goes in ebbs and flows of a game in a season. I think Philip has a nice balance with that.”

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Reich was asked the desired length for chunk plays that will accomplish the objective of loosening up defenses.

“It’s usually about 20 yards, give or take,” the third-year head coach said. “When we count big plays in the passing game, there is really kind of two categories – over 16 yards, usually you’re catching some type of in route and running with it a few yards. Then there are the bigger chunk plays, sometimes the 16-yarders or we throw those deep-over routes, in routes – stuff like that. You need to hit three or four of those a game. Then the plus-30 or 40 plays are obviously usually posts, go routes or when somebody has an explosive run after catch, which we think we’ve got some guys that can do that.”

Rivers threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver T.Y. Hilton in Saturday’s scrimmage at Lucas Oil Stadium. The pass was perfect, hitting Hilton in stride, and the kind of throw that backs up the belief in Rivers.

But one of the knocks on Rivers from last season was that he had lost arm strength. As much as Reich and Sirianni disagree with that criticism, there was another pass in the scrimmage which didn’t get there. Rookie wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. had two steps on safety Malik Hooker on a deep pass. But Rivers’ throw hung up in the air and was short. Pittman tried to use his body to shield Hooker, who had time to close. In doing so, the ball bounced off Pittman’s finger tips. If that pass leads Pittman, it’s likely a touchdown.

That’s only one throw, of course, and it’s unfair to expect a quarterback to be perfect on every attempt. But perhaps it’s worth remembering if the deep passes are underthrown with any frequency in the future.

Rivers was asked in a video call after that scrimmage if he welcomes the challenge of passing 20 to 25 yards down the field to back off defenses.

“I do,” he said. “The name of the game is taking what the defense gives you and finding a way to get the ball in end zone. Whether it’s a 12-play drive or two- or three-play drive, but (I) certainly feel comfortable pushing it down the field. With our guys up front, they do a heck of a job in protection and the way our offensive staff – Nick, Frank, and the whole staff – tie the run and the pass game together, they marry everything together.

“Certainly, everybody feels good here two weeks before the opener and we’re all optimistic that we’re going to stick it and have a heck of a year, as we should. But there will be some three-and-outs and some punts unfortunately throughout games at some point this year. I’m not suggesting that we’ll not punt and not have any hiccups, but I do feel good about our ability to move the ball in any different number of ways – from run to pass to intermediate to dink-and-dunk to play-action and take shots. I think we’ll be able to adjust as needed from game-to-game and week-to-week.”

(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.)