Rivers will start in Seattle.

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

o


If we were talking about a team that was on it's 1st-string or even 2nd-string quarterback, I would agree ....... this team is on its 4th string quarterback ...... and a 4th-string quarterback NEVER cuts it, for ANY team.

If somebody had told any of us before the game that a 4th-string quarterback (or even a 3rd-string quarterback) would throw for 120 yards while not turning the ball over, and settling into a 15-for-19 finish over the final 3 quarters of the game, I don't think that there is an objective football fan in the world that wouldn't take that.

I'm not arguing that Rivers is going to cut it, but that's not the point ...... Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson were not available, and Riley Leonard has been nursing an injured knee. Today we didn't have anybody available that was going to cut it. We don't have options that are going to cut it at this point. The gamble for today's game and for the final 3 games of the season is going with either an old, immobile, broken-down-but very savvy and experienced Philip Rivers, or a completely untested 3rd-string QB in Riley Leonard ...... and that gamble is about a 50/50 gamble.

o

Leonard had no injury designation today. He wasn’t listed on the final injury report.

In other words, he was completely healthy.

He didn’t play because Steichen thought Rivers gave them the best chance to win.

So Rivers wasn’t their 4th string quarterback. He was essentially the third. The guy who had been third was deemed not good enough.

[Colts And Orioles]

Originally Posted by Hoopsdoc

He didn’t play because Steichen thought Rivers gave them the best chance to win.

o


Yes, and after the fact, that decision wound up being completely defensible.

Even if Leonard's knee was 100% today, he may or may not have played better than Rivers did today. He may have used his mobility and youth to throw for 250 yards and 2 TD's ...... or, he may have been eaten alive by the Seattle defense, and thrown 3 INT's and fumbled the ball away for a 4th turnover. As I sai9d before, the gamble between the two for today's game was about 50/50.

o

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

o


No, we don't know that.

The Colts said that Leonard's knee was hurt right after last week's game, and they said that it was still hurting on Tuesday. Just because they did not announce/designate the injury, doesn't necessarily mean that he was 100%. Teams are not always forthright about injuries, particularly minor injuries. The Colts would have nothing to gain by confirming/announcing that Leonard's knee was still hurt at gametime.

Leonard's knee may have been completely healed today, but we're never going to know that.

o

If a player is dealing with an injury, nfl teams are required to report it on the injury report.

If Leonard was still dealing with an injury and the colts were planning on starting Rivers anyway, there’s no reason they would have risked getting fined by not listing Leonard on the injury report.

That makes no sense.

Leonard was completely healthy for today’s game. To say otherwise makes no sense.

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

o


No, that is completely naive. You actually believe that teams never conceal minor injuries ???

There is no way to prove or disprove a minor injury such as a sore knee or a slightly pulled hamstring. What the Colts would have to gain by not designating the injury would be to not let the opponent know about it. If Rivers got hurt today and Leonard had to come in, the Colts would not want the Seahawks to know one way or another whether his knee was sore or not.

o

So you’re saying the colts risked being fined by not reporting Leonard as injured on the off chance that, if RIVERS got injured, it might throw the Seahawks off if Leonard came into the game?

That makes ZERO sense. That’s dumb.

If Leonard were still injured, he would have been on the injury report. There would have been no reason for them to keep him off the injury report.

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

o


Yes, I'm saying that. And it's extremely naive for you to think things like that never happen.

And aside from the fact that multi-billionaire owners like the Irsays being fined $25,000, or even $ $50,000 or $100,000 is tantamount to the average American getting exasperated because they lost a dollar bill when they were shopping, there is no way that the league could prove or disprove a players' sore knee.

o

Jesus Christ.

I’m not saying things like that never happen.

I AM saying that there would have been nothing to gain for the Colts by doing that today.

You are saying that Leonard was probably still injured even though not even the Colts were saying that.

You have no basis for that claim.

Leonard wasn’t injured. If he was, the Colts would have said so, first of all because they’re required to, and secondly because it would have given them cover if Rivers completely bombed.

I’m not sure why you’re fixated on this.