Rivers turns back clock but can’t will Colts to win

INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers was the last player to leave the Indianapolis Colts‘ locker room Monday night following their 48-27 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, seemingly trying to soak up every moment of this improbable — and presumably final — go-round in the NFL.

As Rivers tried to enjoy what is left of his football career after unretiring just over a week ago, he’s wrestling with the conflicting emotions brought about by the Colts’ 0-2 record in his two games under center.

«I’m torn on how to express it, because it’s been a blast,» Rivers said of his return to the NFL after nearly five years away. «It’s been a blast to prepare and to go stinking get ready and go out there and warm up and do all that with these guys again. But, again, the name of the game is not go have a good time. It’s help find a way to lead your team to a win. And we’ve come up short.»

Rivers, who rejoined the Colts in the wake of Daniel Jones‘ season-ending Achilles injury, couldn’t will the Colts to a win Monday night despite an impressive individual performance that saw the 44-year-old turn back the clock and throw for 277 yards with two touchdowns to receiver Alec Pierce.

Rivers, who also had an interception, completed 23 of his 35 pass attempts and pushed the ball more aggressively down the field than his debut in Week 15 ever suggested might be possible. In that game against the Seattle Seahawks, Rivers executed the Colts’ conservative game plan and led them on a go-ahead drive with under a minute to play. But he threw for only 120 yards.

«I thought he was on fire all game,» coach Shane Steichen said of Rivers’ performance Monday night.

The home game at Lucas Oil Stadium was a night the Rivers family won’t soon forget. The entire family — Rivers’ wife, 10 children, grandchild, parents and brother — was in town from Alabama and cheered him on from a suite. The family will spend Christmas together and even decorated its temporary home in the Indianapolis area. It’s all part of what Rivers said has been a remarkable experience that he didn’t anticipate or plan for.

But the losing makes it difficult to savor it all. The Colts’ fifth straight loss left them on the brink of playoff elimination, with a loss Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars or a Houston Texans win ending their postseason hopes.

«There’s no prize for losing,» Rivers said. «But, again, it was better this week from a standpoint of offensively and [putting] points on the board. But you’ve got to win. … Right now, we’re not getting that done and I know this locker room is hurting. Again, I’ve been a part of it for a short time, for two losses. And I know that it’s been a long slide now for over a month, and I know that’s tough.

«But we’ve just got to find a way to dig deep and find a way to win a football game.»

Rivers might have had a chance to record a victory had the Indianapolis defense offered some resistance. The Colts were humbled by quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers, giving up a season-high 6.7 yards per play and never forcing a punt. The 49ers had 440 total yards.

«I feel bad because we let him down,» Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said of Rivers. «He’s balling, putting up points, and it’s our job to make sure the other team doesn’t score and we didn’t show up.»

With the Colts having a 2% chance of making the postseason, according to ESPN Analytics, Rivers was asked, «What now?» His answer, with two games left, was the same as always.

«You dreamed of playing in this game as a kid,» he said. «And if someone asked you, would you play if y’all were going to be for 2-14, like some of these teams are, if you have two games left? Heck yeah.»