Monday night briefly felt like a time machine, because Indianapolis got sharp, fearless quarterback play early against one of the league’s tougher defenses. The Colts’ fill-in starter attacked downfield without hesitation, stood tall as pressure closed in, and connected for two first-half touchdowns, including a second score to Alec Pierce that showed he wasn’t playing scared.
That hot start didn’t erase the sting afterward, though. Stephen Holder noted on X that Rivers’ honesty about the comeback has been “refreshing,” and the quarterback didn’t try to dress it up:
“I’m torn on how to express it, because it’s been a blast… But 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.”
The comments fit the weird emotional middle ground of a veteran's return. There’s joy in simply being back under the lights, but there’s also no hiding from the scoreboard, especially when you’re brought in to stabilize a season.
Rivers looked comfortable in the pocket for long stretches, even with a rush bearing down, and he kept testing windows that many quarterbacks won’t touch against San Francisco.
His first-half aggression also earned praise from an unexpected corner. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel posted on X that anyone claiming Rivers can’t push the ball downfield needs to watch that first half. Trey Wingo reacted too, albeit in a joking way about Rivers’ look, but the underlying point was the same: the arm and the conviction were there.
There were reminders that it wasn’t all smooth. Rivers took his first sack late in the second quarter when C.J. West brought him down, and the drive stalled into a long-yardage situation.
Even then, he nearly salvaged it by escaping and finding Michael Pittman II for a 10-yard gain.
The overall picture matched the “vintage” flash that showed up on the opening-drive touchdown as well: quick recognition, a decisive shot, and just enough old-school rhythm to make the whole thing feel real again, even if the ending didn’t.
