On This Date: One year ago today, quarterback Philip Rivers had a career performance.
It’s amazing how much things can change within a year.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers had his worst performance in the past three years on Monday night against the Chiefs. But exactly on this date, one year ago, Nov. 25, Rivers had arguably his best outing in that time span.
In a 45-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12, it was highlighted by a career game from Rivers. The veteran quarterback set an NFL record for consecutive completions to start a game (23), and tied the record for consecutive completions (25).
Rivers completed 28 of 29 passes (96.6%), which was also a record for completion percentage in a single game (minimum 20 attempts) for 259 yards and three touchdowns, helping Los Angeles rack up 42 points in a row.
With Rivers’ struggles this season, which includes 14 interceptions in 11 games, it’s easy to forget about his promising two-year stretch in 2017 and 2018.
You can blame the carousel along the offensive line for his woes, but the truth is, a good chunk of it is indeed on him. Rivers is making a handful mental errors and his arm talent isn’t where it used to be, which is a reason for their current standing.
We’ve seen a lot of bad games from Rivers this season, especially this past Monday night. But in the 16 years that he has been under center for the Bolts, there have been a lot of great performances, including the one that happened on this date, a season ago.
Don’t expect to see Tyrod Taylor or rookie Easton Stick out on the field anytime soon.
While quarterback Philip Rivers is coming off two consecutive games that were undoubtably the worst of the past three seasons, the question has come up if the the Chargers are going to bench him.
Coach Anthony Lynn has no intentions to bench the veteran signal-caller anytime soon on Tuesday.
“I’m not going to entertain that right now. I’m going to evaluate everything, and right now Philip Rivers is our starting quarterback. But I’m not going to single one position out. I’m looking at everybody. We’re 4-7. Everybody can be doing something better,” Lynn said.
The past two contests have been the difference between staying alive in playoff contention and having those chances being diminished, and a lot of it falls on Rivers’ shoulders. He has completed 54.2% of his passes with three touchdowns and seven interceptions as the Bolts have lost both games.
There are a lot of things that will have fingers being pointed at for the reason that Los Angeles is sitting at a surprising 4-7 record, but the 14 interceptions in the 11-game span is one of the reasons why the team is where they’re at entering their bye week.
The offensive line has been the narrative all season long, but Rivers’ decision-making, pocket awareness and lack of anticipation is a main ingredient for the team’s lackluster 2019 season.
Nearly eliminated from the postseason, the idea of benching Rivers and playing Tyrod Taylor or rookie Easton Stick has been brought up because the Chargers wouldn’t have much to lose.
There’s reason to believe that this could be Rivers final season in a blue and gold uniform, so giving Taylor or Stick some playing time before the season ends would give the coaching staff an idea what the two look like in live-game action.
Heading into bye week after the dreadful loss, the only thing that fans can think about is what the future holds for Rivers.
“I don’t have that luxury to think about Philip and the future, his contract. My focus is the next game against the Denver Broncos. At the end of the season that will take care of itself. Right now we’re trying to finish this season on a positive note,” Lynn said.
Touchdown Wire ranks the 32 NFL teams in terms of stability and potential at the game’s most important position over the next 3-4 seasons.
Tom Brady might be the best quarterback ever, but he’s not the best in the NFL right now. He certainly won’t be the best in 2022.
He’s human, after all, and at age 42, regression is inevitable even for someone with six Super Bowl rings. That puts the New England Patriots in an uncertain situation at quarterback two or three years down the road. The New Orleans Saints, with 40-year-old Drew Brees under center, find themselves in a similar scenario.
Other teams, such as the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, likely will face difficult personnel decisions at the quarterback position much sooner than that. Only a handful of teams, notably the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, appear secure in their quarterback situation for years to come.
All this got us thinking about the quarterback situations of the future — and where each of the NFL’s 32 teams ranks in terms of preparedness at the game’s most crucial position.
By quarterback situations, we mean the full overview of each team’s quarterbacks group, including backups and a potential succession plan, if necessary. For this exercise, we will define the future as three to four years down the road.
To help form these opinions, we consulted with a blue-ribbon panel of one former head coach, two former general managers and one current general manager. They were asked for their thoughts on each team’s quarterback situation. They provided insight to inform our rankings.
With that in mind, we present Touchdown Wire’s future quarterback rankings for every NFL team, from worst to first:
32. Miami Dolphins
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Earlier this season, many observers accused the Dolphins of tanking to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and presumably select a quarterback. Since then, Miami (2-8) has been eclipsed by the ineptitude of Cincinnati (0-10) and Washington (1-9), so the Dolphins might not get the first QB off the board. Currently, the Dolphins have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen on their roster. Rosen has failed in his playing time. There’s no way he’ll be back next year. The Dolphins have the option to hang onto Fitzpatrick, 36, who’s currently under contract next season at $5.5 million. It makes sense to keep Fitzpatrick around for one more year to help groom a young quarterback. That could be LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagavailoa (although his recent hip injury now complicates his draft status), Oregon’s Justin Herbert or Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. Two members of my panel said they like Burrow better than Tagovailoa. Either way, it’s going to take some time to develop a young quarterback.
31. Chicago Bears
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For the moment, Mitchell Trubisky is Chicago’s starting quarterback. But it doesn’t appear that he will be in that role next year — although he remains under contract and the team holds a fifth-year option on the No. 2 overall pick from 2017. Given his level of play this season, it’s highly unlikely he will receive the option year, and he might not even see 2020 with the Bears — although the cap hit for cutting him would be slightly more than $9 million. The Bears are 4-6 after going 12-4 last year. There’s one main reason for the decline. That’s Trubisky. My panelists say he’s holding the offense back and could end up keeping a good team out of the playoffs. All four panelists agree Trubisky should be nothing more than a backup. Current backup Chase Daniel’s contract expires after this season. So there’s no telling who will be Chicago’s quarterback next year. Maybe the Bears will draft a quarterback. But with a talented roster already in place, the Bears should be first in line to sign New Orleans backup Teddy Bridgewater as a free agent.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
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Veteran Andy Dalton has been benched, and the Bengals are giving rookie fourth-rounder Ryan Finley a shot. There should be no turning back to Dalton, even though he remains under contract for 2020 with a $17.5 million scheduled salary. The Bengals can cut Dalton after the season without any salary cap ramifications. It’s too early to judge Finley. Cincinnati is going to end up with an early draft pick and could have a shot at Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts. The Bengals will be starting over. But, given their current state, that’s not a bad thing. “Dalton had more than enough time and couldn’t win consistently,” one panelist said. “I have no idea what they have in Finley. But they have to draft a quarterback if they’re sitting there at No. 1 or 2.”
29. Washington Redskins
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The current situation is a mess. Veterans Colt McCoy and Case Keenum, who clearly aren’t the answer, each is in the last year of their contract. The Redskins have little choice but to play rookie Dwayne Haskins, who has five interceptions and two touchdown passes, the rest of this season. Call it an audition for Haskins. But this situation is complicated because the Redskins currently have interim coach Bill Callahan, who took over when Jay Gruden was fired. There will be a new coach next year, and he might not like Haskins. With an early draft pick likely, the new coach might want his own guy. Give up on Haskins after only one season? Arizona did it with 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen after drafting Kyler Murray. All four of our panelists said Haskins was overrated when he was drafted.
Chargers WIre’s Gavino Borquez gives his final thoughts on the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs on Monday night.
The Chargers fought hard with the Chiefs the entire game on Monday night, but quarterback Philip Rivers and company were unable to execute on the last drive to stay alive.
Here are a few takeaways from Monday’s 24-17 loss in Mexico City:
Rivers’ regression
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On a night when the defense held the league’s most deadly offense to 310 total yards, which kept them close the entire game, Rivers held his own offense back from keeping Los Angeles’ playoff hopes alive.
In a series of questionable decisions, Rivers threw a season-high four interceptions, which marks seven in the past two games. The veteran quarterback looked uncomfortable, rushed and reckless.
Outside of one interception that was caused when his right arm was hit, the other three were a result of poor decision-making and locking in on one receiver as opposed to going through his progressions or misreading the defense.
With a clean pocket, Rivers has tight end Hunter Henry open in the middle of the field but he looks him off and settles for running back Austin Ekeler for a 3-yard gain.
Rivers, 37, has been stood up for all season by people blaming the offensive line for his deteriorating play, but the truth is he’s not the quarterback he once was. A quarterback throwing 14 interceptions in 11 games is certainly going to get some blame.
The Chargers and Philip Rivers always find ways to lose by one score.
This year the internet picked up on the fact that Philip Rivers and the Chargers are always in these one-score games. It was something that always happened like cold weather in the northeast during winter. If the Chargers were playing, Rivers was down seven or fewer points driving with under two minutes to go. We didn’t need proof or stats to that tell us that it always happens. Well, now it’s to the point where the numbers are ridiculous.
Chargers have lost 31 one-possession games since 2015, the most in the @NFL.
That’s only since 2015. Rivers has the most one-score losses by a quarterback in the Super Bowl era with 61. That means almost half of those one-score losses have come in the past four years. That’s ridiculous.
It’s hard to figure out who to blame here. Does Rivers have a preternatural ability to keep games close but blow them in the most heartbreaking way imaginable? Is it coaching? The Chargers had a long stretch of kicker issues.
It’s really unfathomable. Generally, teams that suffer a ton of one-score losses bounce back because that’s how reversion to the mean works. Apparently, statistical rules don’t apply to the Los Angeles — and prior San Diego — Chargers.
The decline of quarterback Philip Rivers has been evident this season. But the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs on Monday night made it clear that it’s time to start thinking about the future of Los Angeles.
In need of a win to stay in playoff contention, Rivers held his team back.
With less than two minutes to drive down the field and tie the game up, Rivers converted a fourth-and-4 and a third-and-15 to lead the Chargers to the Chiefs’ 14-yard line.
On second-and-10, Rivers was looking to go to running back Austin Ekeler in the end zone, but safety Daniel Sorensen was right there. His interception of the underthrown ball sealed the Chargers’ seventh loss by seven points or fewer this season.
Rivers tossed four interceptions, while his defense held the league’s most explosive offense in check the majority of the night. He has thrown 14 interceptions, which is the second-most in the league.
Los Angeles sits at 4-7 heading into the bye, their playoff hopes nearly extinguished. With the postseason fading, fans are left wondering what the future holds for Rivers after this season.
It’s a hard pill to swallow for most fans because they have seen Rivers starting under center since 2006, and while he may have not guided the Bolts to a Super Bowl, he is one of the greatest quarterbacks over the past decade.
Rivers has faced challenges along the way, including below-average offensive line play, and while he has overcome them throughout his career, there’s no overcoming the poor decision-making and the deteriorating arm that we’ve seen.
Rives, who will be 38 in December, is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Even though he has said that he wants to play with the Chargers when they move into their new stadium with the Rams in 2020, it doesn’t mean the team feels the same way — especially after what he’s done this season.
Signing Rivers would be short-term, but at a hefty price. That’s not all that ideal when they have other key players that they will have to use that money on.
Rivers said that he’s going to use this offseason to weigh his options. Whether that is retiring or pursuing an opportunity with a team that’s close to a Super Bowl, he will hold a special place in Chargers fans’ hearts.
So what should Los Angeles do to fill the void?
They need to find a quarterback early on in the 2020 NFL draft, such as Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts or Utah State’s Jordan Love, and start Tyrod Taylor, who is under contract for one more season, as a bridge to let the rookie get adapted to the NFL.
It wouldn’t be easy to move on from the heart and soul of the Chargers for the past decade and a half, but all good things must come to an end.
Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City in typical/predictable fashion Monday night in Mexico City.
Rivers threw four terrible interceptions, including one awful pass in the final seconds that was easily picked by the Chiefs in the end zone.
Seriously, that was a brutal throw that basically summed up Rivers’ entire career with the Chargers.
But earlier in the game the veteran QB had NFL fans laughing when he “attempted” to throw a block downfield. I say “attempted” because he definitely quit on the idea of throwing a block midway through attempting to throw a block:
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez gives his thoughts from the Chargers’ 24-17 loss to the Chiefs in Week 11.
In a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, Philip Rivers threw four interceptions, including one in the end zone on the final drive, and the Chargers couldn’t come out on top against the Chiefs in Mexico City.
Here is our instant analysis from Los Angeles’ 24-17 loss to Kansas City:
Injury Update
There were no injuries tonight.
Play of the Game: Mike Williams’ monstrous catch
In need of keeping their final drive alive, Williams came up clutch with an acrobatic catch that went for 50 yards on third-and-15.
7: Quarterback Philip Rivers has thrown seven interceptions in his last two games, the most in any two-game span in his career.
Quick Takes
Tonight’s loss fell on Rivers’ shoulders. He had two opportunities to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but they both ended up being interceptions. Poor decision-making and regression in arm talent continue to be evident.
Running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler gave the offense life in the first half, but they were nonfactors in the second half, combining for only 23 yards from scrimmage after totaling 199 yards in the first half.
They weren’t perfect, but the offensive line performed better than their dreadful Week 10 outing. They only allowed two sacks on the night against a deadly Chiefs pass rush.
Rivers’ weapons did him a lot of favors with some of their eye-popping catches tonight. Wide receiver Keenan Allen had a bounce-back game, including reeling in his first touchdown pass for the first time since Week 3.
After a dominant first half, the defense came out in the second half looking like a completely different unit. Soft coverage and missed tackles in open space were the killer that allowed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to guide his team to a comfortable lead.
Defensive end Melvin Ingram had a phenomenal performance, coming up in a big way on three consecutive third downs to force the Chiefs to punt. Whether it was generating pressure or batting balls at the line of scrimmage, Ingram made great plays.
As a whole, the defense didn’t allow Mahomes to produce that many explosive plays. The absence of wide receiver Tyreek Hill was clear, but the secondary did a nice job keeping everything in front of them for the most part, aside from a couple plays, including tight end Travis Kelce’s touchdown.
Up Next
The Chargers have their bye in Week 12. Their next game will be against the Broncos at Empower Field on Dec. 1 at 1:25 p.m. PT.
Chargers and Philip Rivers fail to impress in the fourth quarter — again.
Philip Rivers mustered some briefly unexpected magic in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 11 — until he didn’t. The L.A. Chargers quarterback connected with receiver Mike Williams for 50 yards during a 2-minute drill with L.A. trailing by just one touchdown.
Was Rivers actually going to pull off this comeback? (Hint: No.) He almost turned the ball over on a careless fumble, but running back Melvin Gordon bailed out Rivers by recovering the ball. Maybe this will actually happen? (Hint: It didn’t.)
Rivers, like Thanos, is inevitable.
A few plays later, Rivers threw his fourth interception of the game on a target to Austin Ekeler, who couldn’t beat Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen for a jump ball in the end zone. And the Chargers lost, 24-17.
