Fansided

NFL Week 6 Storylines: Brady’s back, Romo rules, Rivers MVP

By Ryan Phillips

Oct 5, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Oct 5, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) pass over New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson (91) in the third quarter of the game at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) pass over New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson (91) in the third quarter of the game at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Philip Rivers is your MVP after five weeks

However distasteful the following sentence may be to some people, it is undoubtedly true: Through five weeks of the 2014 season, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is your MVP, and the race isn’t even close. The 32-year-old quarterback has had a remarkable season thus far and turned in another dominant performance on Sunday in a 31-0 win over the New York Jets.

Rivers currently leads the NFL in quarterback rating (116.3), Total QBR (84.8), yards per attempt (8.75), completion percentage (70.3 percent), is fourth in yards (1,443) and has 12 touchdowns against just two interceptions. His Chargers are off to a 4-1 start that includes a dominant 31-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks, and a razor-thin 18-17 road loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 that they probably should have won.

Rivers may not throw the prettiest passes, his scrambling may beg for a “Yakety Sax” soundtrack and he may celebrate like a spastic 12-year-old, but there’s no denying what he has done this season. The guy has been the NFL’s best player so far in 2014.

Three years ago many wrote Rivers off as done. He had back-to-back mediocre seasons in 2011 and 2012 and some thought that was the end of the line for the man the Internet has dubbed Marmalard. Then Norv Turner was fired, new head coach Mike McCoy brought in an offense that plays to Rivers’ strengths and new general manager Tom Telesco helped shore up what had been the NFL’s worst offensive line. And poof, Rivers is back to being an All-Pro caliber quarterback. It’s amazing what happens when you give a quarterback time to throw and receivers who can actually catch his passes.

Rivers was a Pro Bowler in 2013 and threw for 4,478 yards, completed a career-high 69.5 percent of his passes and tied his career-best passer rating mark (105.5). He is on pace to best all of those numbers this season.

There is a lot of time left in the 2014 campaign, and the Chargers will certainly face some tough tests. But right now, with Rivers playing as well as he ever has, a revamped defense and a budding star in pint-sized running back Branden Oliver, things are looking good in America’s Finest City.

Home/Dallas Cowboys