A practice squad player would have thrown you out of the game or have been sacked up and down the field. I think you are grossly underestimating how good the Seahawks defense is. No one is saying Phillip Rivers is elite or anything but he played well enough for you to win the game and a practice squad player does not have 15 plus years of high level QB play and experience to navigate NFL defenses.
Even if Daniel Jones was healthy this would have been a tough matchup for you guys.
I think you are overestimating how much I care about the score differential and not the eventual result. This a zero sum game, Colts do not get bonus points for keeping the game close. Rivers is not good enough to change the course of Indy's season.
Rivers did not play well enough to win. Just because the game was close, does not mean the QB played well enough.
16 Points and 220 yards of offense, 120 passing is not well enough to win.
4.4 yards per attempt and 0 ability to throw downfield is not well enough to win.
They lost to a team that didn't score a touchdown.
Arguing about whether or not Rivers is better than a practice squad player is asinine, Indy is crashing out in either case.
