San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers Is A Leading NFL MVP Candidate
By Michael Compton
@MWCompton
Jake Roth-USA Today Sports
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is on pace to have the best season of his career, and he is a leading NFL MVP candidate through the first five games of the season.
Rivers, who has started at quarterback for the Chargers in every game since 2006, is off to one of the best starts for a quarterback in league history. What makes his swift start that much more impressive is that he’s achieving it with a lack of truly imposing weapons to throw to. He has torched defenses with aging but effective tight end Antonio Gates, along with a serviceable wide receiver in Eddie Royal.
Rivers is the leading quarterback in the league with a passer rating of 116.3. He has thrown for 1,443 yards and 12 touchdowns to only two interceptions, and his completion percentage of 70.3 percent ties him atop the NFL with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Chargers have been decimated by injuries, yet Rivers continues to dominate opposing defenses. His passer rating of 124.2 against the Seahawks in Week 3 was the highest against the defending Super Bowl champions since Eli Manning hung up a 125.8 passer rating against them in 2010. Rivers also threw three touchdown passes against the Seahawks’ defense, all of them to Gates, taking advantage of check-downs and working underneath the secondary to sustain drives.
Rivers had historically struggled against Rex Ryan defenses, but had no problem the New York Jets last week. He dissected Ryan’s defense, connecting on 20-of-28 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. If Rivers can continue producing at his current clip, he will find himself in elite company at season’s end. Recent NFL quarterbacks who have earned league MVP honors include Peyton Manning (2013, ’08, ’09, ’04), Aaron Rodgers (2011) and Tom Brady (2010, ’07).
Rivers’ record pace is likely to continue for at least another week. There should be few obstacles in his way on Sunday when he makes his 134th consecutive start vs. the winless Oakland Raiders.
Michael Compton is a Jacksonville Jaguars writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter at @MWCompton and connect with him on Google.
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