Rivers is Rolling

Alums Stat of the Day20

NC State alum Philip Rivers had his fifth 300-yard game of the season, tying a career high he set last season, in a come-from-behind victory over the Titans yesterday. He completed 27 of 36 passes for 305 yards, with two TDs and one interception.

The history Books: Rivers 2,649 yards are the most ever by an NFL quarterback in the first eight games of a season. Who did he pass? Now behind him is former Chargers QB, and Hall of Fame inductee, Dan Fouts whose old mark of 2,580 was set in 1982.

The Chargers are now 3-5. The playoffs are still a possibility. Nine teams in league history have started 1-4 and made the playoffs, and the Chargers historically have started very slow only to make a second half push. In 1992, the Chargers started 0-4 under new head coach Bobby Ross and made the playoffs.  The 2008 Chargers started 4-7 and made the postseason. Just last season, they started 2-3, then peeled off an 11-game regular seasons win streak. What will they do this year? Well, one thing is certain… with Philip Rivers anything is possible!

UPDATE. Including season rankings per GoldenChain’s comment. (category: amount – AFC ranking / NFL ranking)

Completions: 198 -  1/2

Yards: 2,649 – 1/1

Yards per Completion: 8.7 -  1/1

Yards per game: 331.1 – 1/1

TD: 15 – 1/2

Passes of 20+ yards:  43 – 1/1

QB rating: 98.9 -  3/3

About BAM

I grew up on Jones Franklin Rd with a Wolfpack banner hanging over my bed. UNCW class of 2001.

Alums Stat of the Day

20 Responses to Rivers is Rolling

  1. GoldenChain 11/01/2010 at 9:14 AM #

    The Bolts issues are more on defense than offense. They have shed themselves of a lot of good players (aka Panthers). What you said but didn’t come right out and say it, is that Rivers obvious leads the NFL in passing yards and is 4th the efficiency, so the QB play could get any better.
    I hope they can mount another second half run.

  2. Hungwolf 11/01/2010 at 9:49 AM #

    Rivers is great and will be a Hall of Famer as long as he stays healthy. Too Bad Norv Turner his head coach. This is Turner’s third time as an NFL coach. Turner took over a very good SD team and will turn it into a loser, just like he was a loser with the Skins and Raiders. I don’t think Turner is a good head coach, he should have stayed an OC.

  3. wufpup76 11/01/2010 at 10:58 AM #

    And who are his receivers again – aside from Gates?

    There’s been no Vincent Jackson this season either – and they had a couple of regular guys hurt this weekend too. Rivers makes those who play with him better, not the other way around (as I have heard before).

  4. JEOH2 11/01/2010 at 11:23 AM #

    VJ is on the way back in a couple weeks…Malcolm Floyd and Legadu Nanee will return as well…they have a very explosive multi-talented offense…for Phil’s sake I hope they make the playoffs as a wildcard team in second place in the AFC West…behind my RAIDERS of course haha…

  5. JeremyH 11/01/2010 at 11:34 AM #

    the way the Chargers are composed, no real chance to have much success in the playoffs, if they get there. tough situation for Phillip but he also takes in a hefty salary.

  6. wufpup76 11/01/2010 at 11:36 AM #

    ^I had a feeling the Raiders might make some noise this season – everybody kinda looked at me cross-eyed, but they are certainly playing well right now.

    An actual running game and some tough D can carry you a long way.

  7. Texpack 11/01/2010 at 12:03 PM #

    Great to see the Chargers take care of the Titans yesterday. Unfortunately, my Texans are next on their schedule next Sunday. Rivers should throw for 550+ against the Texans defense.

  8. BassPacker 11/01/2010 at 12:08 PM #

    When does Rivers contract expire? Didn’t he sign a 5 yr deal? Be interesting to see PR end up at Carolina with all their qb woes. I might even pull for the Panthers then. Alot of NFL teams hurting at qb play, PR could be a hot commodity if he becomes a free agent.

  9. coach13 11/01/2010 at 12:31 PM #

    Rivers to….The COWBOYS!!!!!

    Their run game is not consistent. Defense not consistent. Coupled with poor coaching in Close situations most of the time and bizarre luck in playoffs with Chargers.

    I hope he doesn’t end up like Dan Marino and never wins the big one. Hell, I just want him to win a playoff game.

  10. the_phisherman 11/01/2010 at 1:00 PM #

    Rivers has won a few playoff games. They made the AFC championship a couple of years ago.

  11. Wulfpack 11/01/2010 at 1:24 PM #

    The team to beat in the AFC West is the Chiefs. I don’t think SD has enough to eclipses Baltimore/Pitt, New England/NYJ, or Indy/Houston. Only 2 wild cards go.

  12. Mike 11/01/2010 at 2:21 PM #

    SD has been behind all year too, forcing them to throw. Dont get me wrong, I love to see PR put up big numbers. The fact that he is doing it with big time receivers out is impressive, but they have no running game to help him either.

  13. rky 11/01/2010 at 2:33 PM #

    Said it before, I’ll say it again . . . Rivers will not win a SB at SD due to the ineptitude of the organization – not only Norv. I hope he gets to move to another team soon enough to still be an effective QB leading a team to a SB. Although I really like Rivers, I cannot make myself pull for the Panthers or Lil D. Would love to see him on the Texans or Titans (ok, maybe a little personal bias there). Love to see him doing well putting up big numbers . . . I pull for SD every week except this past one. Fine time to pull out a W against my beloved Titans. Geesh.

  14. Wufpacker 11/01/2010 at 4:25 PM #

    “Rivers will not win a SB at SD due to the ineptitude of the organization – not only Norv.”

    Here, here. Let us not forget who HIRED Norv. I won’t argue that Shottenheimer was the guy to get it done, but their reasoning for replacing him was to find someone who could win come playoff time. Never did understand the hiring of Turner for that reason, considering he had only coached in two playoff games before that (same year, 1-1 record) and had never had a team successful enough to have even reached the playoffs in any other year as the head coach. Regular season he’s still 9 games below .500 despite his relative success with SD (with a team that someone else built before he got there).

    Frankly, while I won’t pull against SD, I almost hope they tank the rest of the season and the front office cans Norv. But then again, they’ll be the ones hiring his replacement so it would probably be a wash either way.

  15. Tau837 11/01/2010 at 10:37 PM #

    “The Bolts issues are more on defense than offense.”

    Not exactly. The Chargers’ defense is #1 in the NFL in yards allowed per game. The Chargers are #19 in points allowed per game, but that is misleading — they have allowed 174 points, but that includes 46 points allowed while not on defense (2 safeties, 1 blocked punt TD, 2 fumble return TDs, 2 kickoff return TDs, 1 punt return TD). So they have only allowed 16 ppg on defense.

    Basically, the Chargers are 3-5 because they have the worst special teams in the NFL by a huge margin.

  16. Tau837 11/01/2010 at 10:39 PM #

    “Too Bad Norv Turner his head coach.”

    I get the sentiment, but Turner has been very good for Rivers individually. He is a great offensive coordinator and QB coach, and it shows in Rivers’ performance since he took over. Unfortunately, he isn’t nearly as good a head coach as OC.

  17. Tau837 11/01/2010 at 10:42 PM #

    “the way the Chargers are composed, no real chance to have much success in the playoffs”

    They have won 3 playoff games over the past few years. Could be better, but they have been a tough out in each of those seasons. I don’t see why it would be any different this year if they make it.

  18. Tau837 11/01/2010 at 10:49 PM #

    “I won’t argue that Shottenheimer was the guy to get it done, but their reasoning for replacing him was to find someone who could win come playoff time. Never did understand the hiring of Turner for that reason, considering he had only coached in two playoff games before that (same year, 1-1 record) and had never had a team successful enough to have even reached the playoffs in any other year as the head coach. Regular season he’s still 9 games below .500 despite his relative success with SD (with a team that someone else built before he got there).”

    Norv Turner has the best winning percentage of any coach in Chargers’ history. He also has done exactly whay you say they hired him to do — he won 3 playoff games there so far. Obviously, they want to win a Super Bowl, but consider that Schotty won zero playoff games there, going 0-2 with two home losses… and also consider Schotty’s career 5-13 playoff record. IMO Schotty was like HWSNBN… he elevated the team to a certain point, and wasn’t going to take it any further. It was time for a change, and overall Norv has done a good job.

  19. Wulfpack 11/02/2010 at 6:40 AM #

    ^Schotty is like HWSNBN??? Did you mean Norv?

    My biggest issues with Norv is when the going gets hot, the Chargers wilt like its nobody’s business. That trait is a direct reflection of their coach.

  20. Tau837 11/02/2010 at 10:55 AM #

    ^No, I meant Schotty. Like HWSNBN did at State, he elevated the Chargers from where they were when he took over to a “bubble team.” They made the playoffs twice. But they lost both of their home playoff games under Marty, which was par for the course for his teams — witness his 5-13 career playoff record.

    Meanwhile, Norv has gotten the Chargers into the playoffs each year and won 3 playoff games, the first playoff wins for the Chargers in 12 years or so. He got them to the AFC Championship game once. So they don’t always fold under pressure.

    I am a Chargers fan and wanted Schotty to be fired. Unfortunately, the Chargers waited too long to do it, which left them limited on replacement choices. On the other hand, had they done it immediately after the 2006 season, they likely would have elevated either Cam Cameron, their OC, or Wade Phillips, their DC… at this point, I think it’s pretty likely Norv has done a better job than either of them would have. Wade has done a worse job with an arguably better team in Dallas, and Cameron got fired after one season in Miami.

    IMO Norv is better than he is given credit for.

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