P. Rivers - What does he need to do to improve? (1 Viewer)

[BFS]

I know this is kind of a broad topic but as a Charger fan I've been watching the development of Rivers since we drafted him. He's kind of had a pass (no pun intended) for most of us who root for SD most of this year as he's coming off of a 14-2 season but he's weaknesses can't be ignored anymore. I know some of his errors have to be chalked up to growing pains but should our running game sputter, I'm really not sure if PR is ready to carry the weight. Last year he had some incredible games and come backs last year, see vs. Pitt, Cinn and at Den. However this year he's had his moments but still doesn't seem to be totally solid.

Some ppl think it's all line play as he looked pretty bad in games 2-4 with our o-line playing ole` or doing the moonwalk with defensive lines and not allowing time for plays to develop. And to some extend this is true as, under pressure no QB is going to play up to his potential. But even in the last 2 games, I'm noticing PR throw off his back foot and either leave deep patterns short, especially with VJax or throwing safety passes out of bounds, for some reason I see this happening with passes to Buster. He also has a habit of not hitting LT on the check downs and throwing before LT is looking or skipping LT when he is ready and trying to "make" plays, which always seem to get picked.

I know he'll improve with time, but should we be worried? Is he getting happy feet? Is he just not comfortable with anyone but Gates? Is there a power struggle for team leadership that's manifesting itself on the field?

BFS

(Bolts for Six)

 

[BigSteelThrill]

His recognition, reaction and accuracy to his non primary targets on passes that are downfield.

He does fine when checking down underneath to his non primaries. He does fine in most all of his shorter stuff.

This issue causes some serious difficulty in the team needs to be able to lean on him for victories.

 

[BoltBacker]

Some ppl think it's all line play as he looked pretty bad in games 2-4 with our o-line playing ole` or doing the moonwalk with defensive lines and not allowing time for plays to develop.

I disagree with this part and it sounds like a nit-pick but it really isn't. In game #3 of the season Rivers didn't play pretty bad. Or mediocre. Or even just "good". He's what kept SD in the game when the OL was breaking down and the run game was non-existent. That's why the Rivers evangelists are in his corner.... because he has the tool to go out and win games for you. I'm not sure if he'll ever be able to manage a win with the efficiency of a Brees when everything is going right but he'll certainly give you a much better chance of winning if things are going wrong. That GB game would have been a complete blowout if Brees had been under center for SD but Rivers not only kept them in the game but if SD LB/DB could have defended the pass at all they would have won that game in Lambeau vs a team that has turned out to be much better than expected this season. On the other side of the coin I think Brees may have been able to pull out that game vs KC. But at the end of the day if you hope to be a superbowl contender do you want the guy who's not going to lose games for you... or the guy who's going to win games for you? Plenty of people will yell "DILFER!" as an example of a QB that just has to manage the game to win a superbowl. They can have the lone Dilfer example but I'll take the Montana/Brady/Young/Manning/Bradshaw examples of SB team needing a QB that can put a team on his shoulders and win a big game if he has to. Still not sure if Rivers will ever be that guy but he's got the tools to be imo.... but I'll also admit that I'm more patient with young QB's and coaching staff's than the average fan. Rivers is 26 and hasn't even started a season and a half yet. Most QB's peak pretty close to 30 it seems to me. Lots of time and room for improvement to be sure.

 

[BoltBacker]

He does fine in most all of his shorter stuff.

I thought he was much better last year on his shorter stuff. In particular it seem to me he's out of sync with Tomlinson for whatever reason on short routes. Some of it can be attributed to the OL not giving him enough time for Tomlinson to look back for the ball but, like most young QB's, he really needs to have better decision making skills when to just throw the ball away instead of squeezing the ball in a situation where the defender has position to make a play on the ball.

 

[Jon_Moore]

I think to improve, he needs to throw a BF until management brings in a legit WR.

If teams take Tomlinson out and ask Rivers to beat them, it's tough with Craig Davis and Vincent Jackson.

 

[cstu]

He does fine in most all of his shorter stuff.

I thought he was much better last year on his shorter stuff. In particular it seem to me he's out of sync with Tomlinson for whatever reason on short routes. Some of it can be attributed to the OL not giving him enough time for Tomlinson to look back for the ball but, like most young QB's, he really needs to have better decision making skills when to just throw the ball away instead of squeezing the ball in a situation where the defender has position to make a play on the ball.

He needs to work on his decision-making and maintain his poise. He can be rattled and when he is he becomes a completely different player. Unless he overcomes that issue I don't think he'll become the great player he could be. The skills are there and it's just a matter of working on the mental aspects of his game.

 

[cstu]

I think to improve, he needs to throw a BF until management brings in a legit WR. If teams take Tomlinson out and ask Rivers to beat them, it's tough with Craig Davis and Vincent Jackson.

Turner and Craig Davis for Lee Evans. *Yes, I know it's not Madden...

 

[Worm]

IMO Rivers suffers from playmaker's syndrome at this level. He's still got the mindset left over from college where he thinks he's better than everyone else out there, which, when you are facing an NFL defense, is not always (or even usually) true. Sometimes at QB you just have to take the sack, or make the safe throw, and he's still learning when to do that. He needs to ease off on trying to fit the ball into tight little spaces.

Take that INT for a TD this week. I don't know if the wrong route was run or what, but he should have never been trying to throw that ball back across his body with a defender plowing him into the ground. Times like that you just need to eat it.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

He does fine in most all of his shorter stuff.

I thought he was much better last year on his shorter stuff. In particular it seem to me he's out of sync with Tomlinson for whatever reason on short routes. Some of it can be attributed to the OL not giving him enough time for Tomlinson to look back for the ball but, like most young QB's, he really needs to have better decision making skills when to just throw the ball away instead of squeezing the ball in a situation where the defender has position to make a play on the ball.

He needs to work on his decision-making and maintain his poise. He can be rattled and when he is he becomes a completely different player. Unless he overcomes that issue I don't think he'll become the great player he could be. The skills are there and it's just a matter of working on the mental aspects of his game.

I agree with this - his decision-making has been the issue this year. There's nothing mechanical that is glaringly wrong, and there's no fatal flaw a la Rex Grossman, it's just some questionable decisions, and some erosion in his game when the game is on the line. Getting Parker back is going to be huge, because it will help Rivers relax, knowing that there will be that intermediate target sitting in the soft spots in the zone and providing a dependable target, more dependable than Jackson and Davis have been so far this year.

 

[Gold Plated Nails]

I know this is kind of a broad topic but as a Charger fan I've been watching the development of Rivers since we drafted him. He's kind of had a pass (no pun intended) for most of us who root for SD most of this year as he's coming off of a 14-2 season but he's weaknesses can't be ignored anymore. I know some of his errors have to be chalked up to growing pains but should our running game sputter, I'm really not sure if PR is ready to carry the weight. Last year he had some incredible games and come backs last year, see vs. Pitt, Cinn and at Den. However this year he's had his moments but still doesn't seem to be totally solid. Some ppl think it's all line play as he looked pretty bad in games 2-4 with our o-line playing ole` or doing the moonwalk with defensive lines and not allowing time for plays to develop. And to some extend this is true as, under pressure no QB is going to play up to his potential. But even in the last 2 games, I'm noticing PR throw off his back foot and either leave deep patterns short, especially with VJax or throwing safety passes out of bounds, for some reason I see this happening with passes to Buster. He also has a habit of not hitting LT on the check downs and throwing before LT is looking or skipping LT when he is ready and trying to "make" plays, which always seem to get picked. I know he'll improve with time, but should we be worried? Is he getting happy feet? Is he just not comfortable with anyone but Gates? Is there a power struggle for team leadership that's manifesting itself on the field? BFS(Bolts for Six)

He needs Steve Smith, or Chad Johnson, or Reggie Wayne, or Larry Fitz, or Plaxico, or Moss, or Owens, or... you get the point. A Wideout who can stretch the field and can make a play out of nothing, jump ball, what have you. He has that in Gates kinda, and in V Jax once in a while, but a true #1 stud is lacking, and until he gets it, well, he is what he is.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

He does fine in most all of his shorter stuff.

I thought he was much better last year on his shorter stuff. In particular it seem to me he's out of sync with Tomlinson for whatever reason on short routes. Some of it can be attributed to the OL not giving him enough time for Tomlinson to look back for the ball but, like most young QB's, he really needs to have better decision making skills when to just throw the ball away instead of squeezing the ball in a situation where the defender has position to make a play on the ball.

He needs to work on his decision-making and maintain his poise. He can be rattled and when he is he becomes a completely different player. Unless he overcomes that issue I don't think he'll become the great player he could be. The skills are there and it's just a matter of working on the mental aspects of his game.

I agree with this - his decision-making has been the issue this year. There's nothing mechanical that is glaringly wrong, and there's no fatal flaw a la Rex Grossman, it's just some questionable decisions, and some erosion in his game when the game is on the line. Getting Parker back is going to be huge, because it will help Rivers relax, knowing that there will be that intermediate target sitting in the soft spots in the zone and providing a dependable target, more dependable than Jackson and Davis have been so far this year.

Yes. I think overall, for 95% of most games, his decision-making is a strength. But he seems to have one or two plays a game where he really forces something that isn't there. It happened last year as well, but it seems to have happened with greater frequency this year so far than last. Maybe it's because Norv has added too much to the playbook too quickly. I don't know.

 

[BoltBacker]

He needs Steve Smith, or Chad Johnson, or Reggie Wayne, or Larry Fitz, or Plaxico, or Moss, or Owens, or... you get the point. A Wideout who can stretch the field and can make a play out of nothing, jump ball, what have you. He has that in Gates kinda, and in V Jax once in a while, but a true #1 stud is lacking, and until he gets it, well, he is what he is.

I just don't buy that argument.He's already got one all-pro receiver and one of the best receiving RB's in the game with less pressure on him because every defense is geared to stop Tomlinson. The SD receivers are better than Trent Green had for years in KC and he used to average 4k+ for several years. We don't know how good Jackson/Davis/Floyd are going to turn out but they can't turn out much worse than what KC was working with.

 

[BoltBacker]

Yes. I think overall, for 95% of most games, his decision-making is a strength.

To be fair though wouldn't you have to admit that 95% sounds a lot better than it really is? I mean if you could go back and delete about 9 plays from any Rex Grossman start he'd be a viable QB and CHI might be SB champs.

 

[DanFouts]

Add Chambers.....

 

[GreedoShotFirst]

Chris Chambers??

 

[AnonymousBob]

Chris Chambers?

 

[Wingnut]

A shiny new WR, courtesy of the Dolphins?

 

[Gr00vus]

Add my voice to the chorus of those pointing to his decision making and poise. He'll look fine, even great for long stretches and then suddenly he gets brain cramps or something. While he has tools, they're not on a Favre/Elway level where he can make bad decisions look good by throwing the ball harder, and even those guys didn't get away with forcing things all the time. As mentioned before he's got to learn to take the sack, throw the ball away, etc. when there's nothing there.

Having a receiver who can get open consistently will help. I think he's had a tough time this year because there often times hasn't been anywhere to go with the ball. I didn't think they'd miss Parker and McCardell as much as they have. They didn't make huge plays, but they got open and caught the ball very dependably (except for the game which must not be mentioned). We'll see if Chambers can give them that.

 

[JMJ]

First thing he could do is trade arms with somone who has a real NFL QB's arm strength.

Rivers has a RAG! A Chad Pennington-esqu rag.

 

[twitch]

Rivers needs to take a valium before games. He's way too high strung for his own good. And some of those boneheaded throws he makes reflect that. That INT for a TD the other day against Oakland is one. What was that? He's not cool enough. Needs to just relax, and stay a little more composed, imo.