There are three things I love betting on in the NFL: Great play calling, a solid offensive line and an accurate quarterback.
When a team has all three of those ingredients – giddy up.
The Indianapolis Colts checked two of those three boxes last season, but decided it was time to complete the trifecta heading into 2020. General manager Chris Ballard pulled the trigger and signed eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers with goals of taking their offense to the next level.
The move reunites Rivers with head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. That trio helped put together one of the best seasons of Rivers’ career in 2013, when he won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. He threw for 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns and led the league in completion percentage.
Rivers is the missing puzzle piece for a Colts club that returns their entire offensive line and has plenty of weapons in T.Y. Hilton, Marlon Mack and Jack Doyle. Promising rookies Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman will have every chance to make an impact. But it’s Rivers’ timing and accuracy that will unleash it all. That’s his bread and butter.[[ad:athena]]
I strongly believe in Reich’s vision and schematics as a play caller. He always seems to zig when you zag and he’s been exceptional at getting the ball to his playmakers. Reich worked wonders with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles in Philly and Andrew Luck had the best season of his career in 2018.
It’s no secret that the NFL is the most up-and-down sport as far as turnover from year-to-year. Teams go from 10-and-6 to 7-and-9 in the blink of an eye and vice versa. Indianapolis knows that far too well, but think about all the things that went wrong last season.
Hilton missed six games with various injuries. Long time special teams weapon Adam Vinatieri was atrocious and missed eight field goals and six extra points. And oh yeah, their franchise quarterback retired just weeks before the opener.
Looking around the AFC South, Bill O’Brien can’t stay out of his own way in Houston and Deshaun Watson will struggle to stay upright. In Tennessee, Derrick Henry is headed for regression and teams have had a full offseason to prepare for Ryan Tannehill. Then there’s whatever the hell Jacksonville is doing with Gardner Minshew at quarterback.
I’ve got the Colts winning at least 10 games this year. There’s just too much familiarity to fail and the division is theirs for the taking.
I love the win total Over 9 (-110) and think it’s a really good bet on them +130 to win the AFC South.
