QB Philip Rivers, IND (6 Viewers)

[SaintsInDome2006]

I looked up Rivers’ air yards per attempt in his last game & it was 1.7, & the lowest current AY/Att I can find this year is Gabriel at 2.4.

Guy has 244 games over 17 years, and the stat you go for is a single game?

That’s fair. For the season that year it was 3.6.

First off, completed air yards per pass attempt of 3.6 sounds low. It ranked tied for #25 that season with Tua and... Justin Herbert, who everyone knows has a great arm. But in 2019 with the Chargers, Rivers' CAY/PA was 4.1, which was #11 that season... ahead of Brees, Allen, Rodgers, Brady, Goff, Mayfield, and Flacco, among others... plenty of guys known to have strong arms.

Beyond that was situation. Average Depth of Target (ADoT) for his targets in 2020:

WR T.Y. Hilton 13.5 ADoT on 97 targets in 16 games
WR Zach Pascal 11.3 ADoT on 76 targets in 17 games
WR Michael Pittman 8.5 ADoT on 66 targets in 14 games
WR Marcus Johnson 17.4 ADoT on 26 targets in 5 games
WR Parris Campbell 11.6 ADoT on 9 targets in 2 games
WR Ashton Dulin 5.8 ADoT on 5 targets in 12 games
WR Daurice Fountain 11.5 ADoT on 2 targets in 5 games
WR DeMichael Harris 1.7 ADoT on 10 targets in 8 games

The WRs weren't very strong downfield -- Hilton turned 31 that season, Pittman was a rookie, Pascal (career ADoT 10.6) is a possession WR, and Campbell only played 43 passing snaps.

TE Trey Burton 7.8 ADoT on 47 targets in 14 games
TE Jack Doyle 7.6 ADoT on 42 targets in 15 gamees
TE Mo Allie-Cox 7.0 ADoT on 40 targets in 16 games

The TEs were not an impressive pass catching group, especially not downfield.

RB Nyheim Hines 0.7 ADoT on 78 targets in 17 games
RB Jonathan Taylor -1.5 ADoT on 42 targets in 16 games
RB Jordan Wilkins -1.1 ADoT on 15 targets in 13 games
RB Marlon Mack 0.0 ADoT on 3 targets in 1 game

About 25% of the targets were to the RBs.

I don't really see anything surprising about his CAY/PA that season. I don't think it proves anything about his arm that season if that was the reason to bring it up.

Thank you. Actually I was just curious, I’m a rank amateur/fan looking stuff up best I can on PFR. Thanks for the informed response.

 

[Joe Bryant]

https://x.com/mymomcare
Lindsey Vonn retired from skiing for five years, got titanium implants in her knee, and turned 41 two months ago. On Friday, she won her first World Cup downhill in 7 years and first since her surgery.

If Lindsey Vonn can do it at 41, Old Man Rivers can return at 44. There's hope for all the 40+ year olds.

Yes! I also think that's a fun part of the narrative. For a great many people, we like the "Football is Life" narrative. And few things connect better to 40+ year old guys than the "Does the old guy still have what it takes?" storyline.

Which is Rivers here over the top.

I hope it's fun.

I'm also totally open to the idea that it's a disaster. Which is a huge part of what makes it compelling.

 

[Tau837]

Article from April 2024: Philip Rivers can still sling it, beats 2024 QB prospects in throwing challenges

Philip Rivers hasn’t suited up for an NFL game since the 2020 season with the Colts, but the former face of the Chargers franchise is still keeping himself in performing shape while training some of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft.

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Kevin Clark, North Carolina’s Drake Maye admitted that him and his fellow trainees are still being taken to school by the elder Rivers. Per Maye, Rivers is still managing to best the group in throwing competitions

The group of prospects included Maye and Nix.

This doesn't prove anything about tomorrow, but perhaps shows that he was indeed keeping his arm in shape, which might be why he was able to impress in his workout and first week of practice.

 

[Lehigh98]

As an old guy myself, interested to see how he takes a hit.
And hopefully his achilles doesn't blow up on the first play like Aaron Rodgers in 2023.

 

[beef]

This outcome has a very high embarrassment probability.

 

[Tau837]

This outcome has a very high embarrassment probability.

While many players would care about this, Rivers is the kind of guy who doesn't. You can go back to the final press conference he held after the final Chargers game in 2019 and see it. I posted about it in this thread. He has always been one to go out and compete to the best of his ability for a full 60+ minutes and let the chips fall... he has never been one to worry about the narrative.

 

[Tau837]

It's not great for Rivers that the Colts will be without RT Smith, DT Buckner, CB Ward, and CB Gardner...

 

[The Frankman]

First play, all out blitz on Rivers. That'll be a test to see how he reacts to pressure.

 

[fatness]

Lindsey Vonn retired from skiing for five years, got titanium implants in her knee, and turned 41 two months ago. On Friday, she won her first World Cup downhill in 7 years and first since her surgery.

If Lindsey Vonn can do it at 41, Old Man Rivers can return at 44. There's hope for all the 40+ year olds.

Only at FBG can you see a thread about Philip Rivers turn to discussing Lindsey Vonn's implants.
I love this place.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

As an old guy myself, interested to see how he takes a hit.
And hopefully his achilles doesn't blow up on the first play like Aaron Rodgers in 2023.

Hey now, give Rodgers more credit than that. It was the third play.

 

[Ray_T]

It says to me this is a skrewed up situation.

Can you elaborate on what you think is "screwed up"? Ehlinger said he preferred to say in Denver instead of compete in Indianapolis. That to me says as much about him as it does the Colts.

Do you think there's something wrong with Steichen?

Hi Joe, why yes I’m glad to elaborate. And I saw his statement & frankly it’s obvious - Ehlinger could be starting presumably for a team on a playoff run, with 4 games remaining. I saw him in the Dome vs the Saints in PS this year, he looked good. They’re loaded with weapons at Wr/TE/RB & a good defense, & he knows the offensive system. But he’d rather be on the PS with Payton. Obviously they might go to the Super Bowl so *maybe he doesn’t want to miss that, which I get, but opportunities like this don’t come along often. So in my honest speculative opinion Ehlinger sees something he doesn’t like about planning, strategy, locker room, his role (were they going to have him backup Rivers anyway?), something.

or the system is different enough he doesnt think it will help him if they throw him with only a few days to prepare for a game and no knowledge of the playbook.

like I said in the earlier posts. its about who can get their game up to a respectable level quickly. it is not about who is the best player. obvioudly who the best player is will come into the decision making process, but young guys tend to be a bit slower in learning a new playbook, so this situation gives an advantage to a veteran or someone who actually knows the playbook.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

First play, all out blitz on Rivers. That'll be a test to see how he reacts to pressure.

Hand off to Taylor.