P-Riv is my dogg!!! Philip Rivers is a winner. As if you needed me to tell you that. Since he has been starting in the NFL, he has gotten 13 wins in 15 tries. This most recent win on the chilly, wet, and wind-whipped day in Seattle against the reigning NFC Champion Seahawks is just more proof of his uncanny knack for winning. (You should enjoy this excerpt) A week after being named to the Pro-Bowl over the lovable Thomas Edward Brady Jr. and listening to national "analysts" rant about an undeserving Rivers, Philip delivered again. Rivers' fourth quarter performance was actually quite Brady-esque. Agreed, Brady is Pro Bowl caliber because it's never about the numbers. It's about what it says on the scoreboard at the end of the game. The only thing that matters are letters – L or W. Rivers gift-wrapped a perfect spiral to Vincent Jackson in the end zone with the game on the line, and got it to him right on the word "Seahawks" stenciled on the turf. And guess which letter Jackson was standing on when he caught it? Right. The "W." Could it have happened any other way? After all, it was Christmas Eve…no "L."
The thing about Rivers that continues to amaze is his propensity for making plays when you absolutely need him to, and doing it with the casual confidence that underscores his spirit. Shoot, he was doing it in short sleeves, on a flat-out nasty weather day. Most quarterbacks would bundle up – Rivers was, yes… sleeveless in Seattle. (Sorry.)
There he was when you needed him most. After another day of frustration, the Gosh N' Golly Kid rallied the troops, and insisted after the game he never needed to say anything special to do it. "This is not to sound cocky," he assured reporters after the game. "We all just honestly felt that with 2:00 left and the ball in our hands, we were going to win that game. It just didn't dawn on us that the outcome would be any different."
On the plane ride home, the quarterback and the coach were among those assembled for a while back by the plates of shrimp cocktail, and you could tell they enjoyed rehashing those final minutes.
"Boy, that 'one play at a time' thing really works," the quarterback gushed to his head coach, and both men laughed, but both men knew it to be true.
Marty preaches "one play at a time" every Sunday, and Philip has bought into it completely. At the time of the deciding play, Rivers had been 9-for-29. But purging that from his mind – with that ridiculously loud crowd screaming, and the rain sloshing off his helmet – Rivers simply stepped up, noticed safety Michael Boulware cheating in to contain Antonio Gates, and heaved his most beautiful pass in three weeks into the waiting arms of his new-favorite target. Jackson – who had dropped a ball at the 15 just minutes before – cradled the spiral like it was a baby. Touchdown, San Diego. Hello, 13-2. Our Chargers still need to win this week to guarantee home field throughout the playoffs. They will have to do it against a surging Arizona Cardinals team with nothing to play for except a low draft pick. We should wrap up home field and be ready to fasten our seat belts for what will be a face paced, hard hitting AFC playoffs.
GO CHARGERS!!!
P.S. My wife gave me an amazing powder blue P-Riv Jersey for Christmas.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 15
P-Riv is my dogg!!!
Philip Rivers is human after all (LT is not). A week after throwing for almost 300 yards and a passer rating near 140, Rivers was humbled. He finished the night just 8-for-23 passing for 97 yards with two interceptions. Throughout the game, he could be seen scolding himself. So frustrated after throwing a lame duck in the 3rd quarter, he ripped his helmet off and threw it toward the bench shouting, “GOD ALMIGHTY!” Clearly, P-Riv is not used to sub-par performances.
Even still, it is amazing to see his team support him following such a tough game. Speaking of his uncompromising nature, Marlon Mcree said, “You could see his competitiveness, his fire. He wanted so badly to make a play. When you see the emotion that Philip showed tonight, it tells you how important it is to him.” And Lights Out said, “He's very intense. That guy really hates to make mistakes. It's the worst thing I've ever seen, because he really gets on himself before he gets on anybody else. But he's a perfectionist. That's why we love having him. We're going to go a long way with that guy.” Everyone loves our man, Philip Rivers.
As for the team performance, it took a little bit of everything to dominate the way my beloved Chargers did. We saw a more trickeration with a direct snap to Michael Turner on a fake punt that kept the opening drive alive. We saw a fluky blocked punt result in another first down for the Bolts. We saw a decisive defense sack Trent Green 6 times and hold the 2nd best running back in the league to just 84 yards. And, of course, we got a Thanksgiving dinner size helping of LT (199 yards, 2 TDs).
Bottom Line: The San Diego Super Chargers avenged an early season loss to the KC Chiefs to win their franchise record tying 12th game. P-Riv is now 12-2 as a starter! The Chargers have won 8 straight and still have their mind set on gaining home field advantage throughout the playoffs. By the way, Qualcomm Stadium has gotten loud and has become a big asset.
After watching a game where the quarterback struggles and the Bolts still win easily, you realize what a complete team they have. Rivers spoke of the 3 aspects of the game in his press conference. Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. Our Chargers are extremely strong in all 3.
Our Chargers travel north to face the sinking Seahawks at 4:15 next Sunday and finish the season at home against the offensively talented Arizona Cardinals. Expect a bounce back effort from P-Riv in both games.
Notes:
LT has pretty much solidified his MVP status.
- LT’s 85 yard TD was the longest run of his career.
- That run gave him 186 points which breaks the single season scoring record of 176 that stood for 46 years.
- LT has 31 total TDs and 28 rushing, which is the most rushing TDs in a season ever. He has also thrown for 2, which are not counted in the total.
- LT broke another record by having 8 multi-TD games in a row.
- PR had a passer rating of, gulp, 12.4.
- PR has only had 5 games with a passer rating below 90, all wins.
- PR’s 91.5 passer rating is higher than the first 14 games of Kosar, P. Manning, T. Brady, and Roethlisberger
- This same guy has 3 daughters.
We all have to feel good about P-Riv and our San Diego Chargers' chances to get to the Super Bowl.
GO CHARGERS!!!
P.S. I debated on whether or not to include this: Rivers is not one to make excuses and in all the post-game conversations, he has not mentioned it. But…Rivers is hurt, not injured, but hurt. His lower pinky and right hand is sore, he still has a slightly bruised right shoulder, and his right leg was rolled on in the first quarter and he did not seem to being putting full weight on it during throws. I will not use this as an excuse, but rather a possible explanation for his throwing woes.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 14
P-Riv is my dogg!!!
I’m running out of superlatives here. Another scintillating performance by Mr. Rivers and the AFC West Champion Chargers. They just keep winning. It is a beautiful thing to watch and cheer for.
Its almost tough to talk about Rivers here…not because he did not have an amazing game (15 of 23 for 279 yards 2 TDs no INTS and a QB rating of 136!), but because it was such a great overall team effort, from the coaching staff down. 6 receivers caught passes, 4 backs had rushes, and 16 defenders made tackles. Cam Cameron made some great calls, especially the fumble-rooskie trickeration that got Lorenzo Neal his first TD in 3 years. Marty let P-Riv air it out in the first half and P-Riv capitalized with precision passing, hitting on every long pass he threw. Cromartie looked great returning the ball on kick-offs, except the fumble. Kaeding was 2/2 of field goals and 6/6 on PATs. He also had a few touchbacks. Scifres landed 2/3 punts inside the 20. I could go on and on and on, but you’re getting the point. Basically, if you were a Chargers player, coach, trainer, fan, or water boy, you had a good game yesterday.
El Tee
It really seems unfair, doesn’t it? How can one team be so fortunate to have P-Riv and Ladainian at the same time? What can you say? LT is tremendous. He continues to delight with 7 straight games of 100+ yards, 7 straight multiple touchdown games, and 29 touchdowns in just 13 weeks. Following Lights Out’s sack and subsequent fumble recovery in the fourth quarter, everyone sensed history was just around the corner. 1st and goal. You could hear the fans chanting, ‘LT! LT! LT! I knew it, you knew it, the fans at the stadium knew it, the viewers at home knew it, Mike Shanahan knew it, the Broncos’ defense knew it; LT is going to get the ball, but they still couldn’t stop him. Run off left tackle, one quick move to elude Darrent Williams, a sudden acceleration to the front corner of the end zone, and LT finds pay dirt for the 29th time this season. The difficulty of scoring 29 touchdowns in the National Football League would be comparable to me beating Usher, Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Prince, K-Fed, Derek Zoolander, and 23 other professional dancers in a dance-off. Possible, but highly unlikely.
As usual, this guy seems so nice it is almost sickening. “We made history today,” Tomlinson said. “There is no better feeling than to be able to share it with the group of guys that are in this locker room.” LT is special. Regarding his skills and knack for success, one reader sent me an email this morning saying, “I think Tomlinson might be the closest team athlete to Jordan I've seen.”
All of his teammates and coaches had uniquely positive things to say. Said Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer, “I don’t want to embarrass him, but for all the skills he has as a player, they pale in comparison to the person.” I hate to harp on a subject, but are you serious? Now his coach thinks he is one of the greatest persons ever. Lets just focus on his football abilities. We all know he is very, very good.
LT. Thank you.
Our Chargers seem to be the class of the NFL and now lead the AFC. It is a great year to be a Chargers fan. I hope everyone has added a lot of Chargers gear to their Christmas list and you all need to go to http://www.nfl.com/probowl
GO CHARGERS!
Monday, December 4, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 13
P-Riv is my dogg.
Philip and my Chargers let us breathe easy for the majority of the game yesterday, which was a nice change. They jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead and did not really look back, beating the Bills 24-21 on a blustery day in Buffalo.
The much improved and feisty Bills made us work a little in the 2nd half. My beloved Chargers gave them 2 short fields thanks to a fumble and long punt return. After those plays, a five-yard Willis McGahee run made it a 17-14 game as momentum appeared to swing.
Then along came that long drive that the Chargers so desperately needed. After failing to move the ball more than 30 yards on their first four drives of the second half, they got into a rhythm. Mixing short passes in with a heavy dose of LT, the Bolts marched 80 yards in 13 plays and ate up 8:06 of the game clock before LT scored his league-best 26th touchdown of the season on a two-yard run.
McCardell, speaking of the long scoring drive, noted,” That drive really solidified us as a true contender. On the road in a hostile environment, an 80-yard drive, that means a lot. It shows people that when our backs are against the wall, we can come out and respond.”
Our man, Rivers, was an efficient 17-for-29 for 160 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.
The howling winds and freezing temperatures did not seem to bother LT as he finished the day with 178 yards on 28 carries, giving him his sixth-consecutive 100-yard game and allowing him to claim the league lead in rushing yards with 1,324 on the season.
This brings us to another interesting topic. Ladainian Tomlinson. Throughout the season, and several times yesterday, members of the media have talked about LT as the best football player in the world and possibly in history. This very well may be true. I do not know enough about the history of the game to speak to this point, but he seems like a great football player. Here in lies the problem. I have observed some of these very same analysts who have commented on LT’s football skills talk about him as a person. Many analysts say,” As great as he is on the football field, he’s an even better person.” LT may be the greatest football player ever. LT is a better person than he is a football player. Follow this logic and you can conclude that LT is quite possible the greatest person that ever lived or at least deserves mention in the conversation. Do I need to extrapolate this any further? I didn’t think so. Hint: If you are speaking to a national audience, make sure that what you are saying makes sense before you say it.
Our Chargers head back to the warmth to face a tough, but slipping, Denver Broncos team at 4:15 EST next Sunday.
Now, everyone go vote for P-Riv and all the other Chargers for the Pro Bowl.
http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot
GO CHARGERS!
Philip and my Chargers let us breathe easy for the majority of the game yesterday, which was a nice change. They jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead and did not really look back, beating the Bills 24-21 on a blustery day in Buffalo.
The much improved and feisty Bills made us work a little in the 2nd half. My beloved Chargers gave them 2 short fields thanks to a fumble and long punt return. After those plays, a five-yard Willis McGahee run made it a 17-14 game as momentum appeared to swing.
Then along came that long drive that the Chargers so desperately needed. After failing to move the ball more than 30 yards on their first four drives of the second half, they got into a rhythm. Mixing short passes in with a heavy dose of LT, the Bolts marched 80 yards in 13 plays and ate up 8:06 of the game clock before LT scored his league-best 26th touchdown of the season on a two-yard run.
McCardell, speaking of the long scoring drive, noted,” That drive really solidified us as a true contender. On the road in a hostile environment, an 80-yard drive, that means a lot. It shows people that when our backs are against the wall, we can come out and respond.”
Our man, Rivers, was an efficient 17-for-29 for 160 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.
The howling winds and freezing temperatures did not seem to bother LT as he finished the day with 178 yards on 28 carries, giving him his sixth-consecutive 100-yard game and allowing him to claim the league lead in rushing yards with 1,324 on the season.
This brings us to another interesting topic. Ladainian Tomlinson. Throughout the season, and several times yesterday, members of the media have talked about LT as the best football player in the world and possibly in history. This very well may be true. I do not know enough about the history of the game to speak to this point, but he seems like a great football player. Here in lies the problem. I have observed some of these very same analysts who have commented on LT’s football skills talk about him as a person. Many analysts say,” As great as he is on the football field, he’s an even better person.” LT may be the greatest football player ever. LT is a better person than he is a football player. Follow this logic and you can conclude that LT is quite possible the greatest person that ever lived or at least deserves mention in the conversation. Do I need to extrapolate this any further? I didn’t think so. Hint: If you are speaking to a national audience, make sure that what you are saying makes sense before you say it.
Our Chargers head back to the warmth to face a tough, but slipping, Denver Broncos team at 4:15 EST next Sunday.
Now, everyone go vote for P-Riv and all the other Chargers for the Pro Bowl.
http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot
GO CHARGERS!
Monday, November 27, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 12
P-Riv is my dogg.
Let's face it. Last Sunday was a sub-par performance from the Chargers and our man, Philip Rivers. No, let's face it, it was a horrible performance.
I could barely muster up the energy to write this update. This was Rivers' worst performance in a win ever. But that's what matters, right. The win. Not to me. I want Rivers to be regarded as the greatest quarterback in the history of the world and games like this make that extremely difficult.
P-Riv was, however, effective when it mattered most. He completed four of his last five throws as the Chargers scored on consecutive fourth-quarter drives to pull out the victory.
Philip's post game performance was far better than his in-game performance. Following the game he said, “To me, the number one job I have as a quarterback is to lead. I continued to do that. I was frustrated, but I didn’t panic. Once you let your teammates think that you’re out of whack and you’re frustrated and you can’t make a play, then it affects everybody. I just kept playing and just figuring it was a matter of time before it came along. It never did necessarily, but we were able to fight through it.”
He does know all the right things to say.
LT seems to love P-Riv almost as much as I. “From my standpoint, I couldn’t tell and I don’t think any other guys could tell that he really wasn’t having a good day,” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “He was still real positive. Every drive, he always came out and said, ‘Okay guys. Let’s get a score here. Let’s get this thing going.’ That’s what you’ve got to have from your quarterback.”
P-Riv should get the clutch veteran, McCardell, back as my beloved Chargers head east to face the sneaky Bills on the cold turf of Buffalo.
You will notice that no stats were included in this update. Make sure you pick up an issue of ESPN The Mag that features our man, P-Riv in his powder blue on the cover.
Let's put this one behind us and cheer our Chargers on to victory.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Monday, November 20, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 11
P-Riv is my dogg.
Three letters. W-O-W
Our Chargers did it again. Chargers 35 Broncos 27
42 points in the second half last week to beat the Felons, 28 points in the final two quarters against the Broncos to bounce back from a 17-point third-quarter deficit and claim their first win at Denver since the 1999 season.
P-Riv entered the game having thrown 122 straight passes without an interception. He threw 2 INT's on Sunday, one of which was returned for a 31-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to give the Broncos a commanding 24-7 lead. The other was a tipped ball.
But you know what? IT DON’T MATTA! Philip worked his “magic” once again, leading the Chargers to 4 touchdowns in the second half against a stout Denver defense. Rivers finished 19 of 26 for 222 yards 2 TD’s and 2 INT’s. Rivers made some incredible throws throughout the game including the 51-yard hot read to LT. He also led the Chargers on a 99 yard TD drive in the 1st quarter. He is fantastic, but we do owe a big thanks to Mr. Tomlinson. LT had another great game. "He's unbelievable," P-Riv said. "He's the best in the business. He's unbelievable with it under his arm, he's unbelievable as we've seen on the pass, he's unbelievable blocking. He brings it on every play. He's the ultimate weapon, and you throw the guys we've got around him and we feel like we can score whatever we need on any given week." More class comments from a class man.
Don’t ever count Philip Rivers out.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Here's some of what ESPN’s John Clayton had to say.
DENVER -- The great quarterbacks have short memories. All the great ones made mistakes. They just didn't remember them when they were on the field.
Following Sunday night's unbelievable 17-point second-half comeback by the Chargers to beat the Broncos 35-27, Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer used the Joe Montana comparison with Philip Rivers' short memory. A year ago, the Chargers blew a game in Denver when Drew Brees opened the second half by throwing an interception that Champ Bailey returned for a Broncos touchdown. On Sunday night, Rivers threw a third quarter pick to Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown to give the Broncos 24-7 lead.
Rivers spent about a minute questioning himself with teammates on the bench, saying, "I can't believe I threw that ball out there." Veteran receiver Keenan McCardell and others told him not to worry. Rivers didn't. He came back by completing 11 of his next 13 passes for 148 yards in three consecutive scoring drives to take a 28-27.
A week ago, Rivers rallied the Chargers from a 21-point deficit against the Bengals to beat them 49-41. Rivers doesn't mind going against the stream. This Rivers has ice running through his veins when the games get hot. Thanks to Rivers' ability to rebound, LaDainian Tomlinson's fresh legs and a relentless group of Chargers, San Diego leads the AFC West by a game over Denver with an 8-2 record.
"The best quality of Philip Rivers is that he never thinks about the last play," Schottenheimer said. "That was the quality in my view that made Joe Montana the great quarterback that he was. When the previous play's over, it doesn't matter to him."
Schottenheimer brought up an anecdote from the preseason that gave him a preview of coming attractions involving Rivers. The Chargers were playing the Seahawks in San Diego. Rivers botched center snaps and handed the Seahawks a 14-0 lead. Most quarterbacks would have folded. Rivers went to work, coming back with three touchdown drives to give the Chargers a 21-14 halftime lead.
Sunday night was no different. After nine weeks of playing safe, efficient zone defenses that lacked blitzes, Shanahan opened the defensive playbook and unleashed the hounds. They emptied safeties from the middle of the defense and stuck them near the line of scrimmage in "Cover 0" blitzes. To stop Tomlinson, the Broncos stacked eight and nine defenders near the line of scrimmage.
Rivers struggled. He completed only one pass in the second quarter, and he watched the Broncos build a 24-7 lead in the third quarter. The killer could have been Williams' interception for a touchdown. But after lamenting it while Jason Elam kicked the extra point, Rivers blocked it out and went back to work.
"You make a critical error like that -- an interception for a touchdown on the road -- you usually don't come away with a win," Rivers said. "Nobody panicked. I put it behind me and said, 'I just have to keep playing.' That's a credit to our team, our maturity and we're a special bunch. It was like the scoreboard wasn't even up there. We just went out there and played."
Give offensive coordinator Cam Cameron some credit, too. Trailing 24-7, and set up with good field position at the Chargers 40 because of a Michael Turner 40-yard kickoff return, Cameron opened the comeback with a screen pass to Tomlinson for 14 yards.
"It's tough," Rivers said. "An interception like that never leaves your mind, but you don't want it to affect you on the field. If you worry about the interception, you throw another one. The key thing was starting with a screen that was a completion. It's amazing. You go back in the huddle and the score is 24-7 and everybody has the same look. That's what's comforting to know -- that nobody was down."
The Chargers simply charged. After driving to the Broncos 37, Rivers got into a rhythm. He hit Eric Parker for a 15-yard gain and found Antonio Gates for 17 to move San Diego to the Broncos 3. Tomlinson sealed the deal with a 3-yard touchdown, his second of four on the night. The Chargers trailed 24-14.
It was no different than a week ago. Once the Chargers got two quick scores against the Bengals, they felt comfortable getting within seven points and made it a game. Same story, different city. The next time Rivers touched the ball in Denver, he had good field position at the Chargers 42.
On third down, he spotted the Broncos heading into another Cover 0 blitz. No safeties were in the middle of the field. That was the good news. The bad news was six or seven angry Broncos were coming toward him so he was not going to have much time to throw the ball.
"We called a protection in which everybody was out in route, so I have only the five linemen blocking for me," Rivers said. "We don't have anyone to block them. I can throw it hot to Gates on the other side. He ran the right route but it was third down [and 3] and I didn't know if he had enough to get the first down or not. Or you can run away from the pressure. I ran away from the pressure. I had just enough time to get it to LaDainian." (It was such a beautiful play)
Tomlinson took the screen 51 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers now trailed 24-21 with 4:51 left in the third quarter. It was a ballgame. The Broncos marched 60 yards for a field goal, but the the score was 27-21. Still just a one-possession game.
The Chargers were suddenly in position to be the first team in NFL history to make 17-point comebacks in back-to-back games. Rivers marched the Chargers 55 yards on seven plays and hit Vincent Jackson in the back of the end zone with a 5-yard touchdown pass to take the lead 28-27.
"We're a relentless group of guys," Tomlinson said. "We feel like we're never out of a ball game no matter how much we're down. You have to keep playing against us because we feel like we can score at any time. I'm going along for the ride."
Relentless is what Tomlinson calls his teammates. The Broncos can't argue. A year ago (without P-Riv), the Chargers lost a similar game. Now they lead the division by a game and aren't looking back.
Monday, November 13, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 10
Wow,
This is going to be the most difficult Weekly P-Riv Update ever. Words could not possibly express the job our man, Philip Rivers, did Sunday in front of raucous fans at Paul Brown Stadium. In honor of Philip, I will give a valiant effort.
Willful. Proud. Resilient. Intrepid. Gritty. Resolute. Stubborn. Heartrending. Strong. Tough. Spirited. Blissful.
All these words were personified by Sir Rivers on Sunday afternoon.
After having their secondary shredded by Carson Palmer, the Chargers found themselves down 28-7 at halftime. “We had several breakdowns in our coverage,” safety Marlon McCree said. “They weren’t beating us in man, we just blew some assignments." The usage of such words as "several" and "some" are not applicable in his statement. Time and time again, I felt anguish as the Cincinnati Felons added TD's in the first half.
Coming out of halftime, my Chargers finally got a stop. P-Riv led his offense 69 yards in just six plays to make it a 28-14 game. Okay, 14 points. This is doable. Can our defense make 2 stops in a row? Yes. Three and out, punt, first play from scrimmage, our man hit Malcom Floyd for a 46-yard touchdown. We hold them to a field goal. Rivers then makes it 3 for 3 on 3rd quarter drives with a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped by a nine-yard TD pass to tight end, Big Brandon Manumaleuna. It's now a one possession game. Whoops, no one covers Ocho Cinco. Palmer to Johnson for a 74 yard TD pass making it a 10 point game.
Following LT's 3rd TD of the day, the Chargers' defense came up with the big play they had to make to counter the lack of plays they had made leading up to that point. On 1st-and-10 from the Cincinnati 20, linebacker Shaun Phillips sacked Carson, forced him to fumble, AND recovered the loose ball. LT needed just one play to score from nine yards out, giving my Chargers a 42-38 lead.
After a 44-yard field goal by the Felons to make it a one-point game, Rivers took the field and delivered what tight end Antonio Gates called “a little magic.” But it's not magic. It's Rivers. He has an unquenchable thirst for winning, an unsurpassed love of the game, and an unrivaled spirit of success.
Rivers capped a 12-play, 72-yard drive by flipping the ball to Manumaleuna again for a five-yard touchdown, giving the Chargers a 49-41 advantage. This is a play that will be shown for many years to come, a play like the ones I enjoyed for 4 years at N.C. State, a play that will begin to define Mr. Rivers. He is the quintessence of a winner.
I think LT likes having P-Riv on his team. “Every week he continues to really amaze us,” Tomlinson said of Mr. Rivers. “He’s a young guy, but he makes so many smart decisions that you don’t expect a young guy to make. Every week it’s like he grows more and more. The guy is playing terrific for us.” I’d say that is a vote of confidence from the leading MVP candidate in the league.
Rivers finished the day 24 of 36 for 337 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He helped the Chargers go 8 of 9 on 3rd downs in the 2nd half, most of which were 3rd and long. But most important, he led my Chargers back from the grave to victory. They now sit at 7-2 after week 10 getting ready to face another tough road test against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
Don’t ever count Philip Rivers out.
GO CHARGERS!!!
This is going to be the most difficult Weekly P-Riv Update ever. Words could not possibly express the job our man, Philip Rivers, did Sunday in front of raucous fans at Paul Brown Stadium. In honor of Philip, I will give a valiant effort.
Willful. Proud. Resilient. Intrepid. Gritty. Resolute. Stubborn. Heartrending. Strong. Tough. Spirited. Blissful.
All these words were personified by Sir Rivers on Sunday afternoon.
After having their secondary shredded by Carson Palmer, the Chargers found themselves down 28-7 at halftime. “We had several breakdowns in our coverage,” safety Marlon McCree said. “They weren’t beating us in man, we just blew some assignments." The usage of such words as "several" and "some" are not applicable in his statement. Time and time again, I felt anguish as the Cincinnati Felons added TD's in the first half.
Coming out of halftime, my Chargers finally got a stop. P-Riv led his offense 69 yards in just six plays to make it a 28-14 game. Okay, 14 points. This is doable. Can our defense make 2 stops in a row? Yes. Three and out, punt, first play from scrimmage, our man hit Malcom Floyd for a 46-yard touchdown. We hold them to a field goal. Rivers then makes it 3 for 3 on 3rd quarter drives with a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped by a nine-yard TD pass to tight end, Big Brandon Manumaleuna. It's now a one possession game. Whoops, no one covers Ocho Cinco. Palmer to Johnson for a 74 yard TD pass making it a 10 point game.
Following LT's 3rd TD of the day, the Chargers' defense came up with the big play they had to make to counter the lack of plays they had made leading up to that point. On 1st-and-10 from the Cincinnati 20, linebacker Shaun Phillips sacked Carson, forced him to fumble, AND recovered the loose ball. LT needed just one play to score from nine yards out, giving my Chargers a 42-38 lead.
After a 44-yard field goal by the Felons to make it a one-point game, Rivers took the field and delivered what tight end Antonio Gates called “a little magic.” But it's not magic. It's Rivers. He has an unquenchable thirst for winning, an unsurpassed love of the game, and an unrivaled spirit of success.
Rivers capped a 12-play, 72-yard drive by flipping the ball to Manumaleuna again for a five-yard touchdown, giving the Chargers a 49-41 advantage. This is a play that will be shown for many years to come, a play like the ones I enjoyed for 4 years at N.C. State, a play that will begin to define Mr. Rivers. He is the quintessence of a winner.
I think LT likes having P-Riv on his team. “Every week he continues to really amaze us,” Tomlinson said of Mr. Rivers. “He’s a young guy, but he makes so many smart decisions that you don’t expect a young guy to make. Every week it’s like he grows more and more. The guy is playing terrific for us.” I’d say that is a vote of confidence from the leading MVP candidate in the league.
Rivers finished the day 24 of 36 for 337 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He helped the Chargers go 8 of 9 on 3rd downs in the 2nd half, most of which were 3rd and long. But most important, he led my Chargers back from the grave to victory. They now sit at 7-2 after week 10 getting ready to face another tough road test against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
Don’t ever count Philip Rivers out.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Monday, October 30, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 8
P-Riv is my dogg.
My Chargers rebounded from a tough loss last week to whoop the quality St. Louis Rams 38-24. Big thanks to LT for helping ease our boy, P-Riv, into his first starting season. LT finished the game yesterday with 183 yards and 3TDs! While Rivers spent most of the day watching Tomlinson do his thing, he also delivered when called upon. He opened the game today by completing his first four passes for 70 yards and finished 15-of-23 for 206 yards and a touchdown (108 passer rating). Philip was 10-of-14 for 121 yards and a 97.6 passer rating in the first half. Of the four incomplete passes, one was an intentional throw-away. He was an incredible 6-of-9 for 101 yards and a touchdown today on third down plays, a rating of 141.
Moments after the Rams made it a two-possession game midway through the fourth quarter, his picture-perfect 25-yard floater to LT made it a 38-17 contest. Philip continues to be a joy to watch. We'll have to get ready for an improving Cleveland Browns team. It should, however, be an easy win.
If you end up dressing up this Halloween, be a Charger.
GO CHARGERS!!!
My Chargers rebounded from a tough loss last week to whoop the quality St. Louis Rams 38-24. Big thanks to LT for helping ease our boy, P-Riv, into his first starting season. LT finished the game yesterday with 183 yards and 3TDs! While Rivers spent most of the day watching Tomlinson do his thing, he also delivered when called upon. He opened the game today by completing his first four passes for 70 yards and finished 15-of-23 for 206 yards and a touchdown (108 passer rating). Philip was 10-of-14 for 121 yards and a 97.6 passer rating in the first half. Of the four incomplete passes, one was an intentional throw-away. He was an incredible 6-of-9 for 101 yards and a touchdown today on third down plays, a rating of 141.
Moments after the Rams made it a two-possession game midway through the fourth quarter, his picture-perfect 25-yard floater to LT made it a 38-17 contest. Philip continues to be a joy to watch. We'll have to get ready for an improving Cleveland Browns team. It should, however, be an easy win.
If you end up dressing up this Halloween, be a Charger.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Monday, October 23, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 7
P-Riv is my dogg.
Yesterday was a sad day for Chargers fans all over the world. The Chargers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on a last second 53 yard field goal.
But for those of us who are much more concerned with P-Riv than the Chargers as a whole, have no fear. Philbo nearly brought them back from the dead putting up another fantastic performance yesterday as the Chargers fought an uphill battle against the revived Kansas City Chiefs. Philip finished 25 of 43 for 266 yards 2 TDs and 1 pick. After the game, Philip said he would make the throw again, but he just let it get away from him a little bit. He's a gunslinger with precision, not afraid to throw it around. I love it. To add insult to injury for the Chargers, the league's best linebacker, Shawne Merriman, was served a 4 game suspension for his use of a performance-enhancing substance. No wonder he is the league's best linebacker. Give Clay Aiken the right drugs (and maybe a few different genes) and he might become the best linebacker in the NFL.
Things don't get any easier for the ailing Chargers as the explosive St. Louis Rams come to town to next week. On the defensive side, my beloved Chagas will be missing their sack leader(Shaun Phillps) and their drug-using linebacker. A lot of bad news comes at once for the Chargers, but let's not kid ourselves. P-Riv will still be quarterbacking this team and with Philip at the helm, I am confident.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Yesterday was a sad day for Chargers fans all over the world. The Chargers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on a last second 53 yard field goal.
But for those of us who are much more concerned with P-Riv than the Chargers as a whole, have no fear. Philbo nearly brought them back from the dead putting up another fantastic performance yesterday as the Chargers fought an uphill battle against the revived Kansas City Chiefs. Philip finished 25 of 43 for 266 yards 2 TDs and 1 pick. After the game, Philip said he would make the throw again, but he just let it get away from him a little bit. He's a gunslinger with precision, not afraid to throw it around. I love it. To add insult to injury for the Chargers, the league's best linebacker, Shawne Merriman, was served a 4 game suspension for his use of a performance-enhancing substance. No wonder he is the league's best linebacker. Give Clay Aiken the right drugs (and maybe a few different genes) and he might become the best linebacker in the NFL.
Things don't get any easier for the ailing Chargers as the explosive St. Louis Rams come to town to next week. On the defensive side, my beloved Chagas will be missing their sack leader(Shaun Phillps) and their drug-using linebacker. A lot of bad news comes at once for the Chargers, but let's not kid ourselves. P-Riv will still be quarterbacking this team and with Philip at the helm, I am confident.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 6
Greetings fellow P-Riv followers,
Another beauty by our man, Philip Rivers. Move over MartyBall, you've been replaced by PhilipBall. It doesn't have the same ring to it, but it is much more appropriate when describing the best offense in the league led by the best, yeah you read it, best QB in the league. On four of the Charger's scoring drives, the Chargers made three touchdowns and a field goal. Rivers was perfect on all four, at one time completing 13 straight passes. He finished 29 of 39 for 334 yards, 2 Touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He also added another win. Look, if Rivers, basically a rookie in third-year clothing, really is this good – and he's given us little reason to think otherwise – Dan Marino better watch out. You keeping waiting for a mistake out of Rivers, but he will just not make one.
Next week my beloved Chargers have Kansas City and if you look at the rest of their schedule, I don't think they will ever be an underdog in Vegas. They have Cincy and Seattle on the road in 2 tough match-ups. They also have a home and away with the Broncos. Absolute worst case, I see them at 11-5. The season is starting to take shape and what a beautiful shape it is taking.
I'll leave you with the same challenge as last week. If you get a chance, this week, yell, "GO CHARGERS!!!", in a public venue.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Another beauty by our man, Philip Rivers. Move over MartyBall, you've been replaced by PhilipBall. It doesn't have the same ring to it, but it is much more appropriate when describing the best offense in the league led by the best, yeah you read it, best QB in the league. On four of the Charger's scoring drives, the Chargers made three touchdowns and a field goal. Rivers was perfect on all four, at one time completing 13 straight passes. He finished 29 of 39 for 334 yards, 2 Touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He also added another win. Look, if Rivers, basically a rookie in third-year clothing, really is this good – and he's given us little reason to think otherwise – Dan Marino better watch out. You keeping waiting for a mistake out of Rivers, but he will just not make one.
Next week my beloved Chargers have Kansas City and if you look at the rest of their schedule, I don't think they will ever be an underdog in Vegas. They have Cincy and Seattle on the road in 2 tough match-ups. They also have a home and away with the Broncos. Absolute worst case, I see them at 11-5. The season is starting to take shape and what a beautiful shape it is taking.
I'll leave you with the same challenge as last week. If you get a chance, this week, yell, "GO CHARGERS!!!", in a public venue.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Monday, October 9, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 5
P-Riv is my dogg!!!
Wow,
Ladies and gentlemen, that was one fine performance out of our man, Philip Rivers.
I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the game on Sunday. It was beautiful to watch P-Riv sting the Steelers as he shredded their secondary. Even after his receivers dropped 4-5 pinpoint passes, Rivers finishing stats looked like this: 24/37 for 242 yards 2 TD's and 1 INT. We will not count this as a real interception since pansy Parker let the defender rip the ball out of his hands after having the ball hit him in the chest. In addition to a wonderful passing game, Rivers was able pick up 24 yards rushing including a 15 yard scamper to keep the drive alive. He continues to exhibit uncanny decision making a superb skill.
Next week should be a lot of fun as my Chargers face the lowly 49ers.
I'll leave you with a challenge. If you get a chance, this week, yell, "GO CHARGERS!!!", in a public venue.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Wow,
Ladies and gentlemen, that was one fine performance out of our man, Philip Rivers.
I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the game on Sunday. It was beautiful to watch P-Riv sting the Steelers as he shredded their secondary. Even after his receivers dropped 4-5 pinpoint passes, Rivers finishing stats looked like this: 24/37 for 242 yards 2 TD's and 1 INT. We will not count this as a real interception since pansy Parker let the defender rip the ball out of his hands after having the ball hit him in the chest. In addition to a wonderful passing game, Rivers was able pick up 24 yards rushing including a 15 yard scamper to keep the drive alive. He continues to exhibit uncanny decision making a superb skill.
Next week should be a lot of fun as my Chargers face the lowly 49ers.
I'll leave you with a challenge. If you get a chance, this week, yell, "GO CHARGERS!!!", in a public venue.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Monday, October 2, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 4
I am going to gripe a little during this update.
Philip Rivers looked amazing in a really annoying loss to the Senior Citizen Baltimore Ravens. I am pretty sure the only thing that made me very angry about that game was Marty Schottenheimer calling a running play on every single third down; regardless of length. 3rd and 4=run, 3rd and 17=run, 3rd and 9=run. Rivers throws 1 pick early and Schott totally loses faith. Schott slips into the beloved (sarcastic) 'Martyball'. The Chargers have a reputation for losing late game leads and he still plays 'Martyball'. I would compare that logic to trying to swallow a machete knife over and over again thinking that eventually it will stop hurting. Nonsense.
A respectful and diplomatic Rivers responded perfectly as members of the media probed to catch a 1st year starting quarterback doubting his coach's decisions. "I'm obviously confident in what was called," Rivers said. "If we execute every play that's called, we win." Class comments from a wonderful leader and competitor. Did anyone see his reaction after not having the opportunity to throw a final pass? I thought it was a perfect reaction. His expression encapsulated the entire 2nd half.
I was very disappointed that my Chargers lost, but I am still pleased with Rivers's play. Another extremely difficult test faces us this week as we square off against the hungry and rested Steelers on Sunday Night Football.
On a side note, our Wolfpack look to go to 4 and 2 versus the 'Noles in their last 6 meetings. Pretty amazing considering the mediocrity of our program. We are sure to be riding high from the BC game and we are playing at home. Scattered thunderstorms are predicted all night in Raleigh, so I hope the game does not turn into a washout or worse, get delayed. Thank you all for reading this entire email and cheer us on to victory tonight and especially Sunday.
GO CHARGERS!
Philip Rivers looked amazing in a really annoying loss to the Senior Citizen Baltimore Ravens. I am pretty sure the only thing that made me very angry about that game was Marty Schottenheimer calling a running play on every single third down; regardless of length. 3rd and 4=run, 3rd and 17=run, 3rd and 9=run. Rivers throws 1 pick early and Schott totally loses faith. Schott slips into the beloved (sarcastic) 'Martyball'. The Chargers have a reputation for losing late game leads and he still plays 'Martyball'. I would compare that logic to trying to swallow a machete knife over and over again thinking that eventually it will stop hurting. Nonsense.
A respectful and diplomatic Rivers responded perfectly as members of the media probed to catch a 1st year starting quarterback doubting his coach's decisions. "I'm obviously confident in what was called," Rivers said. "If we execute every play that's called, we win." Class comments from a wonderful leader and competitor. Did anyone see his reaction after not having the opportunity to throw a final pass? I thought it was a perfect reaction. His expression encapsulated the entire 2nd half.
I was very disappointed that my Chargers lost, but I am still pleased with Rivers's play. Another extremely difficult test faces us this week as we square off against the hungry and rested Steelers on Sunday Night Football.
On a side note, our Wolfpack look to go to 4 and 2 versus the 'Noles in their last 6 meetings. Pretty amazing considering the mediocrity of our program. We are sure to be riding high from the BC game and we are playing at home. Scattered thunderstorms are predicted all night in Raleigh, so I hope the game does not turn into a washout or worse, get delayed. Thank you all for reading this entire email and cheer us on to victory tonight and especially Sunday.
GO CHARGERS!
Monday, September 18, 2006
P-Riv Update: Week 2
Another fantastic showing for our man Philip Rivers. He was 25 of 35 (71%) with 1 TD and 0 INTs. His passer rating was once again over 100 as he easily handled the Tennessee Titans. For the season, he is already compiling great numbers. Note the sack figures. It shows 2 things: 1)good offensive line and 2)Big, strong, SMART QB! Through 2 games, he also has not thrown a pick.
Att Comp Yds Comp% Yds/Comp Sack Int TD
46 33 343 71.7 10.4 0 0 2
Unfortunately, we will not have the sheer pleasure of watching P-Riv perform this week as my beloved Chargers have a Bye.
We can, however, start getting hype for the game in Baltimore October 1st. The ravens probably have the 2nd best defense in the league and are known for forcing turnovers. It will be a fun one to watch.
GO CHARGERS!!!
Att Comp Yds Comp% Yds/Comp Sack Int TD
46 33 343 71.7 10.4 0 0 2
Unfortunately, we will not have the sheer pleasure of watching P-Riv perform this week as my beloved Chargers have a Bye.
We can, however, start getting hype for the game in Baltimore October 1st. The ravens probably have the 2nd best defense in the league and are known for forcing turnovers. It will be a fun one to watch.
GO CHARGERS!!!
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