The Colts lost to the Browns in Week Five and they fell behind the Bengals 21-0 seconds into the second quarter of Sunday’s game, which may have led some to feel like the team was unraveling after a 3-1 start to the year.
None of those people were in Colts uniforms, however. Philip Rivers threw two touchdowns in the second quarter and the Colts were only down 24-21 at halftime. They’d outscore the Bengals in the second half as well and a late Julian Blackmon interception allowed them to celebrate a 31-27 victory.
After the game, Rivers said he sensed calm throughout the team when they were down 21 points
“There really was no panic,” Rivers said, via Mike Chappell of WTTV. “I’m new to these experiences with this football team. The culture and everything is set. I wasn’t feeling any panic from anyone.”
Rivers said he drew on his experience in a 2006 game against the Bengals that saw his Chargers down 21-0 in the first quarter of a game they’d come back to win 47-41. Rivers is on a new team now, but he brought his ability to turn games around with him from California.