Philip Rivers Thrives with Big Targets

It’s crucial to play with an effective quarterback for any receiving option. For Michael Pittman Jr., he will have the benefit of catching passes from Philip Rivers, who is notorious for throwing often to big targets.

The most recent example of Rivers’ success throwing to big receivers is Chargers standout Mike Williams. Standing at 6-4, Williams hauled in 49 receptions for 1,001 yards, and two touchdowns in 2019, meaning he averaged an NFL best 20.4 yards per reception.

With the athleticism Pittman Jr. has in addition to his size, he’s a legitimate threat deep downfield and can haul in contested catches. This is an ability the Colts’ other receivers don’t necessarily bring to the table, at least on a consistent enough basis to rely on.

For a Colts team in need of opening up their offense more by taking shots downfield, having this kind of size at X receiver is crucial. The opposition needs to be forced into respecting other targets in the offense aside from T.Y. Hilton in order to execute at a higher level, which is where Pittman Jr. comes into play.