San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers: Reasons behind his up and down show in 2012 season – NFL Special
It has been a long time since quarterback Philip Rivers became a part of San Diego Chargers when the team drafted him as fourth overall pick in the 2004 draft.
The player reached remarkable success over the years. After starting as a backup to quarterback Drew Brees for his first two seasons in the league, the player went on to become a sensation for San Diego.
The quarterback reached new heights in every new season until the 2011 season when he started to give turnovers at regular intervals.
After finishing the 2010 season with 30 touchdowns and just 17 turnovers, Rivers has gone to throw more than 50 turnovers since the start of the 2011 season.
The 2012 season has been of particular disappointment for Rivers. Despite putting up good performances like against Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14, he has consistently suffered from inaccuracy.
There has been occasions when Rivers looked even worse than most of the backup quarterbacks in the league. So, what has exactly happened to a player once deemed to become an elite quarterback? The answer may lie in looking at the problems Rivers has faced
this season.
The biggest problem for Rivers this season seems to be the cover he has been getting from the Chargers beleaguered offensive line.
Rivers has played many games without his starting offensive tackles, which has made him prone to sacks, forcing him to make quick decisions. This means that Rivers has relatively less time to throw the ball after a snap.
Therefore, Rivers has been sacked far too many times this season because of the vulnerability and lacklustre performance of the offensive line.
Moreover, this also means that Rivers has to play on his back foot to get as maximum time as possible. It has an even worse effect on his performance, as the quarterback has not been able to throw long passes which has been his speciality in recent times.
Rivers has been limited to throwing passes of less than 10 yards, in complete contrast to the 20-yard passes he regularly threw in the 2010 season.
There is no denying that Rivers has a weak footwork which has proved detrimental to his poor performance this season. However, his decision making has also been not that good. Whenever he has tried to throw long, he has missed his target.
Rivers can still bounce back this season, just like the way he did last season. He scored 11 touchdowns in last five games of the 2011 season and gave away just three interceptions.
Rivers has always performed superbly in the second half of a season and his performance in Week 14 was a sparkling reminder of it.
The good thing for Rivers is that all the problems he is facing can be rectified. The quarterback must get his footwork better. It can have a far reaching effect on his performance in coming seasons.
Also, the offence must give a better support to their leader who has been going through low point of his career.
There is no denying the fact that Rivers has been a great player for Chargers and certainly has a few years of brilliance left in him. Even Chargers head coach Norv Turner recently said:
"You know, Philip Rivers gave us a chance to win that game. He made so many plays that a lot of guys can't make. It's hard for me to answer that question because I just don't think people have an understanding of what that question means.”
Disclaimer: The views do not represent editorial policy of bettor.com
Tags: