Tag: Phillip Rivers

Why Shane Steichen is the right head coach hire for Colts

Why Shane Steichen is the right head coach hire for the Colts.

When the Indianapolis Colts began their previous coaching search, they unknowingly planted the seeds that became Frank Reich and Jeff Saturday.

General Manager Chris Ballard noted that the right guy would need to put together a strong staff and that lack of experience would not impact their evaluation.

“They’ve got to be able to hire first-class staff that can teach and develop players,” Ballard said.

To get the right hire, the team was even willing to go through the college ranks, and Ballard doubled down on the team’s willingness to keep an open mind.

“When you hire an inexperienced coach, somebody that’s never done it before, they’ve got to have a presence. They’ve got to be able to lead the room.”

The team requested permission to interview young NFL candidates, including New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. They interviewed McDaniels twice and were sold on his abilities, agreeing to terms.

Until they didn’t.

The Colts were left jilted, a tale of unrequited love.

The team signed then-Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich five days later to a five-year contract. Lost in the hiring of Reich was a flawed hiring process that they hadn’t cast a wide net of varying candidates. They were always locked in on McDaniels.

The team was fortunate to land Reich, but even that signing had shortcomings. As strong as Reich was for several years, his philosophies, combined with Ballard’s missteps, landed him out the door. The team hadn’t lived up to its mission to develop players or men.

Then, Jeff Saturday arrived.

The other side of their previous search, a willingness to hire with no experience, was staring the team in the face as owner Jim Irsay grappled with the reality that his franchise was faltering. Although it seemed highly unconventional, the path to hiring an ESPN analyst and former Colts center was already made.

And predictably, it didn’t work.

Saturday could lead men, but developing players was up for debate. The lack of experience also loomed large as the team put on some of the worst displays of football in recent memory.

The problem was that the team started with an end in mind from McDaniels to Reich to Saturday. Their words didn’t match their actions. But things changed with the hire of Steichen. The team was thorough, intentional, and patient. Despite a strong case from Jim Irsay to keep Saturday, Chris Ballard took his time, promising to “get it right.”

For the Colts, this is the right hire.

It aligns with the team’s initial vision in 2018: a young coach who could develop players and lead men. This time, it comes with the experience the team needs. Steichen is one of the best offensive coordinators in football, with a top-three offense that convincingly scores at will. His ability to adapt to challenges in-game, with a tactical attack, is remarkable.

Moreover, Steichen has worked with former Colts quarterback Phillip Rivers and the next generation of young talent in Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts. He pours into his quarterbacks and sees the field like them, trusting them to execute his visions while also playing to their strengths.

The depths of Steichen’s mind lay on the field in a toe-to-toe battle with the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Superbowl, resulting in 400-plus yards of offense and a four-touchdown performance led by Jalen Hurts.

Shane Steichen will need to bring his best “mad scientist” toolkit. The journey to creating a sustainable masterpiece starts now.

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Philip Rivers set to coach first high school football game in May

Philip Rivers is set to make his high school football coaching debut next month.

The next chapter in future Hall of Fame quarterback Philip Rivers’ football journey is now just less than a month away from commencing.

Rivers was hired as the head football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama in August and has taken over the program full-time after retiring in January. The former Chargers and Colts signal-caller will coach his first high school football game — albeit a spring game — against Alma Bryant High School on May 21, according to AL.com’s Ben Thomas.

Although Alma Bryant will also feature a new head coach when the two teams meet, the odds seem to be stacked against Rivers’ St. Michael program in its spring matchup. Alma Bryant is a Class 7A program, while St. Michael boasts a 4A classification.

RELATED: Phillip Rivers set to transition from NFL quarterback to high school football coach

“Coach Sessions and I both are in our first years at our schools obviously,” Rivers told AL.com. “After visiting with him and having a coach on staff that knew him, it just seemed like it was going to line up well with what our visions were for spring ball – to get better and find out about our respective teams.

“We look forward to that challenge and working together to get better. I think both programs can accomplish their goals, and we are excited about getting to play.”

Rivers grew up in Alabama and starred for his father, Steve Rivers, at Athens High School before ascending to N.C. State. While in Raleigh, Rivers shattered nearly every program passing record en route to becoming the fourth pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He took over as San Diego’s starting quarterback in 2006 and remained with the organization until 2019, when he hit free agency and opted to sign a one-year, $25 million contract with the Colts to play the final season of his career in Indianapolis.

The 39-year-old Rivers finished his career ranked fifth all-time with 63,440 passing yards and 421 touchdown passes. He also started the final 240 games of his career, a streak second only to Brett Farve’s 297 consecutive starts under center.

“It’s a special day for me and for my family,” Rivers said when hired as St. Michael’s head coach. “I’ve had two childhood dreams — one was to play in the NFL, and I’ve been doing that going on my 17th year. The other was to be a high school football coach. How blessed am I to live both of these out?”

Could the Colts trade for Eagles QB Carson Wentz after Philip Rivers announces retirement?

Will the Eagles trade Carson Wentz to the Colts?

Colts quarterback Phillip Rivers announced his retirement Wednesday from the NFL. There has been speculation that if Rivers were to retire, the could Colts make a trade for Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

Colts head coach Frank Reich was the Eagles offensive coordinator from 2016-2017 before taking the Colts’ head coach position.

Wentz and Reich had a special bond together during their time with the Eagles. In 2017, Wentz had an MVP caliber season before he suffered a torn ACL. Since Reich’s departure from the Eagles, Wentz has not been the same quarterback and some speculate it’s the loss of the Colts current head coach.

During the two seasons together, Wentz had an 18-11 record (11-2 in 2017), threw 49 touchdowns and 7,078 yards.

In the three seasons without Reich, Wentz has a 17-21-1 record, 64 touchdowns.

There were reports that Wentz could request a trade after the season but after the firing of head coach Doug Pederson, there were reports that the chances of Wentz staying have increased.

Maybe now with Rivers retiring and there’s a starting position open for the Colts, Wentz will request a trade there if the Colts are interested.

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7 fantasy football waiver wire targets ahead of Week 14

Fantasy football wavier wire targets ahead of playoffs in Week 14.

It’s playoff time in fantasy football, but that doesn’t mean the wavier wire is closed. Some quick adds, even this late in the season, could help you survive and advance.

With that, here are seven wavier wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 14:

Week 14 fantasy waiver wire: Running backs rule latest rankings

We take a look at top fantasy football waiver wire targets for Week 14.

As we enter the later part of the fantasy football season, fantasy football playoff seedings are beginning to become clearer, and for many, it’s playoff time.

With that in mind, this time of year is one where waiver wires are extremely important. With injuries and other situations piling up, a selection off the waiver wire could propel your team to an important victory. With offense continuing to rule the day in the National Football League, players like running backs and wide receivers are even more important.

With that in mind, we take a look at your waiver wire targets or week 14, and who you should pick up for next week.

 

Minnesota Vikings: Power rankings of each team on 2020 NFL Schedule

The Vikings’ 2020 schedule is tough. Here are all the opponents ranked from best to worst

Minnesota’s schedule came out this month, and it’s gearing up to be a tough one.

The Vikings have the 10th most-difficult schedule, in terms of the teams’ winning percentages from 2019. However, the past success of the Vikings’ opponents do not tell the full story.

For instance, the Buccaneers and Colts are gearing up to be different on offense. There’s also the Texans, a team that was good last year but may have fallen off in the offseason.

So Vikings Wire decided to do a power rankings of the best teams that Minnesota will be facing. I based some of it off past success, but I took it with a grain of salt as well, determining which teams progressed or regressed in the 2020 offseason.

Here are the picks:

1. Packers

Green Bay might not have gotten better through the draft, but the team still went 13-3 in the 2019 regular season.

I could honestly see Rodgers having a year where he’s more motivated than usual, due to his team drafting quarterback Jordan Love. That doesn’t bode well for the Vikings. Also, Minnesota struggled a lot with Green Bay’s defense in 2020.

I think the Packers are still really good, and the team came relatively close to a Super Bowl berth in their head coach’s first year. They could very well be as good or better.

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Former Georgia QB Jacob Eason signs rookie deal with Colts

Former Georgia football and Washington Huskies QB Jacob Eason has signed with the Indianapolis Colts, per his Instagram.

According to a post by Jacob Eason on his Instagram account, the former Georgia quarterback has signed his rookie deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

Eason was drafted with the No. 122 overall pick by the Colts last month in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After transferring from Georgia at the end of the 2017 season, Eason sat out a year due to NCAA rules and then started the 2019 season at quarterback for the Washington Huskies.

At Washington in 2019, Eason led the Huskies to an 8-5 record throwing for 3,132 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Eason was projected as one of the top 5 quarterbacks in this year’s draft but, along with former teammate Jake Fromm, was forced to wait a bit longer to hear his name called and was eventually taken in the fourth round.

With the Colts, Eason will have the opportunity to learn from newly signed veteran passer Phillip Rivers and compete for the back up position for 2020.

It’s nice to see Eason finally put pen to paper and be rewarded for his fortitude. The Lake Stevens native did some great things at Georgia and DawgNation will be rooting for him in Indianapolis.

There are no contract details at this time.

 

 

Report: Colts agree to terms with QB Philip Rivers

Colts are bringing in Philip Rivers.

The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free-agent quarterback Philip Rivers on Tuesday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

In what was one of the most anticipated moves of the offseason for the Colts, Rivers is joining his former offensive coordinator, who is now the head coach in Frank Reich.

After Jacoby Brissett failed to prove he could be the long-term option under center, the Colts were forced to take a look at the quarterback market. Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers opted for a mutual parting after 16 seasons, and it seems the Colts had their eye on him all along.

Rivers has been an aggressive passer in his career and would be an upgrade over Brissett. The Colts are likely giving both a chance to compete for the starting spot, but given the money Rivers is commanding, he’s likely the favorite to start on paper.

Rivers saw some setbacks to his production in 2019. He completed 66% of his passes for 4,615 yards, 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. His style of play is vastly different than what the Colts saw with Brissett, who is much more conservative.

A day after trading for DeForest Buckner, the Colts appear to be going all-in by signing Rivers to be their quarterback for the short-term future.

Ranking 27 of the Patriots’ QB options for 2020

Is Tom Brady No. 1?

Tom Brady is still a pending free agent.

We’re three days away from the NFL’s legal tampering window, which opens at noon on Monday. And Brady is set to enter free agency for the first time in his career. Anything is possible for Brady. Anything is possible for the Patriots. At the moment, there is little indication of whether they’ll reunite. There’s also little indication they won’t.

While we’ve waited for Brady’s decision, we’ve considered every possible landing spot. And we’ve considered a lot of options at quarterback for the Patriots. Now is the final opportunity to consider every option. Bill Belichick is definitely doing just that. He’s weighing the draft, the trade market and the free agency options. So let’s do the same. Let’s look at all 27 quarterbacks that we can think of as options for New England.

We’ve ranked them in order of desirability, while weighing the cost of the quarterback in contract dollars and, when applicable, in trade costs.

Not impossible

27. Nick Mullens, 49ers: (Trade) He’s not a high-end starter, but perhaps offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would get Mullens in the building to see if he could serve as a starter for a year or two while the Patriots prepare for Jarrett Stidham or another young quarterback to take over the job.

26. Jacob Eason, Washington: (Draft) He’s got the arm talent that some evaluators fawn over. But the Patriots aren’t usually among those talent evaluators. Eason is pegged as one of the five best quarterbacks in the draft, but he’s probably not going to be ready to start in his first year in the NFL, with his intellect and mechanics needing work, even with his physical abilities.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

25. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma: (Draft) Hurts’ draft stock hasn’t soared like many of the other quarterbacks in this draft. There’s a chance the Patriots could land him in the third round or later. And that might actually appeal to them as they consider a quarterback, because the Eason is getting first-round hype, which is probably undeserving. Even if Hurts does fall to the Patriots are a reasonable draft position, he probably won’t be ready to start in 2020.

24. Nick Foles, Jaguars: (Trade) The Jaguars seem to be toying with the idea of parting ways with Foles. Quarterback Gardner Minshew showed enough promise for Jacksonville to hand him the starting job. After a trade, Foles’ contract would shrink to about $16 million in 2020 with an out before the 2021 season. His deal really isn’t all that different than that of Andy Dalton’s, another quarterback who the media is connecting to the Patriots.

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23. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins: (Trade) Belichick has always had a thing for Fitzmagic, who is just 3-10 against the Patriots. But if the Dolphins decide to move on with Josh Rosen and/or a top draft pick, then Fitzpatrick would be available for a low cost. And while McDaniels probably wouldn’t be in love with the idea of Fitz, he’s also an NFL enigma. Who the heck knows which offensive coordinator secretly loves him?

22. Joe Flacco, Broncos: (Pending release) He seems an awful lot like a washed option. But he is an option, and it’s easy to image he’d like to try to revitalize his career in New England.

21. Case Keenum, QB, Redskins: (Free agency) Keenum had a catastrophic season in Washington, but perhaps that’s what might interest New England. McDaniels could study what made Keenum so successful in Minnesota when he went to the NFC Championship Game. Keenum’s contract would cost next to nothing, and he’d be a nice buy-low bridge quarterback for the Patriots.

Dark horses | Strong considerations | The favorites

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2020 Bills opponents: Chargers’ Phillip Rivers leaving, could Tyrod Taylor start?

The Buffalo Bills’ 2020 opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, had QB Phillip Rivers retire, leaving Tyrod Taylor as their starting QB.

In 16 NFL seasons, quarterback Phillip Rivers has thrown for 59,271 passing yards with 397 touchdowns. All of those came with the Chargers organization, but his next yards and scores will come elsewhere.

In a long expected move, the Chargers announced on Monday that the Buffalo Bills won’t be facing Rivers in 2020 when Buffalo hosts them. Well, things weren’t exactly tailored that way, but the Chargers and Rivers “mutually agreed” that Rivers will become a free agent and not return to the team:

Speaking of “tailoring” news, this move brings former Bills starting QB Tyrod Taylor into the spotlight. He’s currently the No. 1 QB on the Chargers roster with Rivers gone.

But we’re a long ways away from next season. A lot could change by then, but there’s a few key factors to keep in mind.

The Chargers just extended their head coach, Anthony Lynn, so he’s going to be around regardless of whatever quarterback takes a snap next season for LA. In regard to Lynn, many point to his desire to have more of a mobile quarterback. You can’t get much more mobile than Taylor, who Lynn coached while with the Bills as well, and even NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport acknowledged that in a Monday report.

“You mentioned the kind of quarterback Anthony Lynn wants, they have one, (Lynn) does seem to favor more of a mobile-type quarterback, they have one in Tyrod Taylor,” Rapoport said.

Additionally, Rapoport said the Chargers are “looking for a new beginning at the quarterback position, someone who can turn the ball over far less.” That’s another trait used to describe Taylor, who has kept his interception rate down during his career, including his time with the Bills.

In his career, Taylor also has a winning record as a starter, 23-20-1, which is actually 24 wins because of that one time he didn’t take the first snap of the game with the Bills, a game the Bills won and he played every other snap as the QB.

Still, even with all the positives Taylor’s resume might hav, there’s plenty of other factors at play here. Rapoport also reported that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is expected to test free agency and in doing so also said the Chargers will be a team that’s interested. Furthermore, RapSheet says that the Chargers have been scouting quarterbacks “a lot” leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft. They hold the No. 6 overall spot so QBs such as Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert could be in play as well.

Circling back to the Bills, as things currently sit, Taylor is leading a team into Buffalo next season. But we’ve got a long way to go to see if that’s going to happen.

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