How Will You Remember Philip Rivers?
A thunderous Arrowhead Tomahawk Chop chant cascaded down to disrupt the visiting offense in the fourth quarter with 1:06 on the game-clock, on 4th down with 17 yards to go, from the 32-yard line. Trips Right Shotgun, Rivers drops back to pass…
“We got a pick right here by (Daniel) Sorensen,” Kevin Harlan exclaimed on the CBS broadcast during yesterday’s afternoon telecast. Chiefs 31 Chargers 21. Harlan is a legendary sports broadcaster. He was simultaneously calling the game-sealing interception in K.C and the final drive of the Miami - New England game that saw the Dolphins pull off the biggest upset of the year by defeating the Patriots, and the Chiefs clinching a first-round playoff bye. A somber Bolts team retreated to the visitor's locker room.
Was Phil’s last pass in his illustrious NFL career an interception? A play that sealed a Kansas City AFC West championship and the number-two seed in the playoffs? One can only speculate at this point.
Love him or hate him; glorify or vilify him; it is unquestionably undeniable that Philip Rivers poured every ounce of his fiery passion from his 6’5” and 228-pound frame into a franchise that some would consider a total waste of a career.
Will we ever see an individual athlete express the amount of unabashed passion into his team without the drawstrings of a mega-contract lying over his helmet as Philip Rivers did for the San Diego Chargers of Los Angeles?
As much as it makes me cringe to intertwine the city of “LA” and Philip Rivers, the Chargers were a doomed franchise headed by an avaricious owner. One who betrayed his local fan base amongst the area codes consisting of the (619) to the (858) to the (760) but exceeded a loss of 60,000 screaming fans on Sundays.
Dean Spanos, maybe one day San Diegans will benefit from the sophomoric decision you made by moving the San Diego Chargers up Interstate-5. Hopefully, the traitor owner will sell the team one day for a considerable profit to a competent owner who will actually decide to break open his piggy bank and fork over billions of dollars to bring an NFL franchise back to San Diego.
Hell, maybe San Diego can take a page out of the Baltimore Ravens proverbial recipe book for How to Revive a City Who Lost Their Original Professional Football Team and recapture that unprecedented energy these San Diego fans brought every Sunday in Mission Valley when the Chargers were in their hay day.
Without an NBA or NHL team, and a struggling San Diego Padres franchise who has promised success heading into the 2020 decade after only two playoff appearances since 1998, San Diegans are ferociously thirsty for another professional sports team.
Back to business. Philip Rivers will one day, as I make this unbiased prediction, earn a bronze bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Dan Fouts, Dan Marino, Frank Tarkenton, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, and many other star-studded quarterbacks who do not own Super Bowl jewelry, honorably (but most deservedly) dawn a gold jacket every August at the H.O.F ceremony in Canton, Ohio.
But, for those of you already disagreeing and calling for my head, take a look at P.R’s statistics and the streak of consecutive started games.
He has thrown for 59,271 passing yards (6th all-time); 397 touchdowns (6th all-time); 123 wins (9th all-time); 64.7 completion percentage (10th all-time). Oh yeah, he also made 224 consecutive starts at arguably the most difficult position in professional sports as well. 2-2-4!!!
P.R must have gulped down the Brett Favre-Cal Ripken Jr. cocktail special to accomplish that feat. Simply amazing. Other than Vinny Testaverde, can you name a quarterback who had similar passing statistics and the rigid, longevity similar to Rivers without a Super Bowl appearance or ring? “Dog-gone,” I’m waiting...
After playing the entire season on an expiring deal, the question remains unknown as to whether or not the Chargers brass will resign Phil to a contract extension and begin the 2020-21 season at the new Hollywood Park sight-stadium.
I do not care if you’re managing the Jacksonville Jaguars or the New England Patriots. One of the key components to being successful in the National Football League REQUIRES a franchise quarterback leading your team. This gives your team the opportunity to hoist the Vincent Lombardi, sterling silver, football-shaped trophy in early February. No, ifs, and's, or buts.
Is it Philip Rivers' fault Marlon Mcree fumbled the football away after intercepting Tom Brady on fourth down? No... I do not know what play haunts San Diego sports fans more, McCree’s fumble or Mark Langston’s non-strike three call versus Tino Martinez in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series. Rich Garcia is a bonehead. I digress...
Troy Brown was aware and stripped the ball from him. A gassed Chargers defense gave up a touchdown to Reche “Giant Eyes” Caldwell and a two-point conversion on the ensuing drive.
In my opinion, that’s outstanding coaching by New England and there is no one on this planet who is more diametrically opposed to agreeing with what the Patriots do than myself.
Ultimately, that led to the end of the magical (14-2) season that was comprised of LaDainian Tomlinson’s MVP award and Shawne Merriman’s 17.0 sacks in 12 games (pegged for steroids, ouch).
Is it Philip Rivers’ fault that Vincent Jackson drove with expired license plate tags and a driver's license that ultimately lead him to get pulled over and handcuffed, causing him to be late before a playoff game? No. A sluggish mood permeated the Chargers sideline that day versus a New York Jets team with a rookie quarterback named Mark Sanchez.
The comically gut-wrenching Chargers losses from September 11th, 2006 to December 29th, 2019 (Rivers' first career start to his 224th) have in a minuscule part, to do with Philip Rivers’ poor play. But more realistically, with a bunch of ill-equipped rosters filled with underachieving or less-talented position players and lackluster coaching.
Strong Offensive line play is a key factor for the longevity of a long-term quarterback’s success. Other than Nick Hardwick, Marcus McNeil, Kris Dielman, Mike Goff, or Jeremy Clary, what have the Chargers brass done to draft durable offensive linemen to protect the former North Carolina State standout? Questionable.
Phil's a prototypical pocket passer that relies heavily on a strong running attack to set up the passing game. His inability to scramble has not necessarily hindered his play. Quick releases of the ball from shotgun formations to running backs/wide receivers as well as pinpoint accuracy allowed the San Diegan to thrive in an era of football that has shifted towards a college spread-attack.
Rivers led the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2018 Chargers teams to the illustrious postseason every NFL team craves. The poor man had to face arguably, the greatest NFL team this century, the (17-0 Patriots at the time) in the 2007 AFC Championship game with torn knee ligaments and no offensive identity. LaDainian Tomlinson was suffering from a knee injury on that 12-degree day in Foxborough, Massachusetts as well.
I sure miss Sproles. Enjoy retirement, Darren. Well deserved.
Yet, only a week later, he had to face a vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers team who ranked first-overall in team-defense. The Steel City would eventually be crowned Super Bowl champions. Fellow 2004 draft-classmate, Ben Roethlisberger’s second Super Bowl win in five seasons.
2009 season: (13-3), complete dominance of the AFC West, Rivers’ most-likely last Western Division throne declaration. The bolts decided to play down to a non-favored, betting line-level Jets team and also tested how far you could kick a referees penalty flag. Thanks, Vincent Jackson.
Oh yeah, Nate Kaeding missed three (3) total field goals that entire season and matched that total number of misses in a single afternoon, divisional-round playoff loss. The last attempt that would have tied the game.
The 2010-2012 San Diego Chargers teams were either marred with injuries, saw LT jet off to the east coast to play for the Gang Green and were simply complacent in their analytical department to build a fortress to protect Rivers or surround him with offensive weapons.
2013: Yet another scrappy team, clawing their way towards a playoff berth in the final game of that season. Peyton Manning’s-led Broncos team, dominated the division after throwing an NFL record 55 TD passes, along with the creative mind of Andy Reid’s Chiefs teams that implement offensive mismatches weekly. A road playoff victory versus a woeful Cincinnati Bengals team and an eventual loss to the Super Bowl XLVIII participant, Broncos at Mile High Stadium.
January 12th, 2017. Worst. Day. Ever.
2018: Philip managed to lead a young, talented roster to a (12-4) record with some remarkable wins (won games hanging in the balance but otherwise in previous years, resulted in losses, but found ways to emerge victoriously). Bad news, this happened during the dour, second season of the Chargers relocating to Carson, California and playing inside of a soccer stadium, that at full capacity, amounted to 27,000. Wow...
Is Tom Telesco willing to release Rivers (the Chargers franchise leader in passing yards and touchdown passes) and use journeyman, Tyrod Taylor as a potential bridge quarterback for a young, vibrant prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft?
Time. Time is the real answer but it is honestly sad to see a franchise potentially dismiss a sure-fire Hall of Famer in order to gain an identity in the nation's second-leading media market behind New York.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Kobe Bryant (I guess I can mention Shaq as well) helped solidify and establish the greater Los Angeles “sports community” as a “Lakers Town.” The USC Trojan comet era lead by Pete Carroll, Reggie Bush, and Matt Leinart had LA in the palm of their hands but NCAA sanctions eviscerated that. Jonathan Quick and Justin Williams’ Conn Smythe trophies still glimmer on the ice. The latter part of the 2010s for Dave Roberts’ (Vista High School Alumni) Dodgers teams making back-to-back World Series appearances garner attention but Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson actually hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy.
The Chargers WILL NEVER fit in this crowded sports landscape and unfortunately, Philip Rivers had no say in this.
“At this point in my career, I could care less about stats. The only stats (that matter) is about winning and losing. Again, I didn’t do enough this year to help us win more football games. And I take full responsibility for that,” Rivers addressing a reporter about his two-touchdown-two-interception performance and game-sealing pick for the Chiefs.
“As far as, Can I (still play in the NFL)? There’s no question. Do I still (want to continue to play in the NFL)? Absolutely.” It is clearly evident that 17 still has the mental capacity and physical ability to play another season or two. People in certain NFL circles want to see this happen. There are some fans that feel the same way too.
Will the torrid Tennessee Titans, who clinched a postseason berth, be willing to sign a competitive, trash talker (albeit with no curse words) with the possibility of parting-ways with Marcus Mariota and dangling Ryan Tannehill’s late-season surge as trade bait? Philip has always been a southern boy at heart and spent his adolescence there.
Or, the unfathomable? Does Robert Kraft cut ties with his beloved golden child, Tom Brady, and the Spanos-Telesco party take a flyer on a (going into next season) 43-year-old, Tom Brady and use that as a splashy move to entice a fan base who would rather visit the Griffith-Observatory or Santa Monica Pier during a Sunday afternoon in the Fall?
Who knows? Maybe, if signed, Brady will take the LeBron James route and focus on the latter part of his professional career towards building a media empire of his own in LaLa Land. Six Super Bowl rings give you plenty of options.
By the way, So-Fi Stadium or the Galactic Spaceship that is set to land in Inglewood soon will put Jerry World (AT&T Stadium) to shame. It will inhabit the Rams and Chargers from the 2020 NFL season until further notice. Let it be known too, that Dean's team has produced impecunious PSL numbers and that has not made Stanley Kroenke (LA Rams Owner) happy. The chances of the Chargers returning to America’s Finest City remain anemic.
16-Year Career w/ One Franchise. 224 Consecutive Starts. Five Playoff Victories. Eight-time Pro Bowler. 2013 Comeback Player of the Year.
My money is on never seeing another quarterback with a similar attitude, on-field personality, or throwing motion like P.R 17, again.
A rare breed. What a shame.