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The Saints just refuse to play it safe. They just keep the pedal to the metal. I really hope we get to see the Packers play the Saints in the NFC Championship. There could be 1200 yards of offense and 100 points scored.One key is the play calling. I was amazed when Saints were trying to respond to scoring drive by Lions. Sure, they ran it. But then going for 30 yd bombs downfield instead of trying to run clock. Keeping offensive pressure. So fun to watch. Chargers don't play like that....
You wonder, but my guess is that they probably would of selected Gallery. He seemed to be the consensus number one non-quarterback pick if I remember correctly. But it would have been fun to see Brees playing with Fitzy.So who do they draft in 2004? Gallery or Fitzgerald? Or Sean Taylor?
I think it would be difficult to pinpoint their QB play as one of the primary reasons that the Chargers have lost any of their playoff games since Brees has left. Coaching decisions, on the other hand...Actually, I was just thinking what would have happened if the Cowboys had held onto Sean Payton.
The reason was pretty simple. After three seasons, Brees had just barely managed to beat out Flutie for a starting job and hadn't looked very impressive when he did. Even Brees said he completely understood why management would spend a high first-rounder to upgrade the QB position.
Really? I think if Rivers went to New Orleans, and Brees went to San Diego, Rivers would have the better year. Sean Payton has an extremely QB friendly offense.
Specifically, what did Rivers do that has cost the Chargers a shot at a Super Bowl?
I think the Saints were set on drafting Matt Lienart had they not signed Brees. I wonder how many Super Bowls that would have brought
Yeah but part of that reason is that they had the #1 pick. If the Chargers had won just 1 or 2 more games in 2003, then they probably wouldn't have drafted a QB and Brees might still be there.
Probably true but that is because Brees has put himself in the HoF lately. Rivers still has a ways to go.Even so Brees would not likely have become the HoF QB that he is today had he stayed in SD. Just look at the discrepancy in attempts in that time frame, Brees is throwing the ball 110 more times/season than Rivers.If Rivers had somehow ended up in New Orleans he is probably the one that we would be talking about as a sure fire HoFer.
I think it might be too early to close the door on Rivers' Hall of Fame chances.
We can read between the lines on his statement to the press on October 27th, 2011.http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/sports/Philip-Rivers-Insists-Hes-Healthy-132653983.html
So you think that he comes back next year as the QB we saw from week 7 on, rather than the QB we saw early in the season?
I'm not closing the door. I think he is one of the best in the game, but he has a very long way to go. Particularly without, at the very least, a Super Bowl appearance. Right now I put him closer to Romo than Brees as an HoF candidate.
Yes.
Specifically, he sucks.
The Chargers lost with Brees QB in 2004 at home vs the Jets. In 2006 Rivers led them to a 14-2 record. They lost at home against the Pats and Rivers had a terrible game. Maybe Brees plays better and they win and get the Colts at home. I still don't think Brees gets them past the Colts and Bears in the SB.The next year they lost to the undefeated Patriots and I doubt Brees would have been the difference there either.They lost at Pittsburgh in 2008 and Rivers played great. Brees probably wouldn't have been the difference there either.Then they lost to the Jets last year with Rivers having a good game except for 2 INT's. Brees might have won that game but the Chargers weren't a great team and would have had trouble with the Colts on the road.
Not sure that's true. Don't get me wrong Rivers has tremendous talent, but the reason Brees is so successful is he plays QB like a point guard, distributing the ball to anybody and everybody who lines up on offense. He makes 4-5 reads on every single play. The only other QB in the league that demonstrates such a total control over his offense is Peyton Manning.
that so wasn't a question.Anyhow, Flutie was ridiculous at somehow making every game a close game. Few QBs have ever captured fans attention like Flutie did. He was best (or the most fun?) in Buffalo. He had played football for a long time, by the time he was on the Chargers and it's quite predictable that a young QB would pass him on the depth chart. Like some, pretending Brees and Rivers entered the NFL at the same time, both would have surely beat out Flutie.Brees is not a tall quarterback. I wonder if his autobiography will include notes about what he learned from Flutie- when he retires and writes one. I don't see them as the same type of quarterback at all and don't feel like one could replace the other well. I don't know that Brees is as "nails" as Rivers can be, nor that Rivers can flat out "air it out" like Brees can. I do feel like the Saints have a system built for Brees and that the Chargers do an old fashioned system where they simply replace cogs. Top or near top draft picks do not come around often for most franchises. When teams get the opportunity they want a franchise player, a star, a stud etc. It's not the same as the rest of the draft or the rest of the first round. The picks are often times obvious to everyone regardless of which team is drafting. Brees wasn't a 5000 yard passer then a Rivers was a fine pick, however Manning iis a HOF QB and Luck will be a fine pick too. We like to say they CAN take anyone from thousands of players, but in reality there's usually just a few they can or will take. Remember the Bush versus Mario debates? It was Rivers or Eli then. Roth and Losman were so not considered top pick guys. FItz or Gallery maybe could have been reasonably drafted but it probably stops there. Drafting a S or TE first overall isn't likely in any draft. Yes from there, we can discuss Eli's trade demands, but still it's not as most people here describe the experience.
You may very well be right, but I know I am not drafting him for fantasy next season. I didn't like what I saw at all this year. Gates is aging and probably will miss time. Vincent Jackson runs hot and cold. I just think there will be better values at QB, and I think that this season drops Rivers down quite a bit. When you look at the stud QBs, Brady, Rodgers, and Brees. And Newton probably could be considered not far behind that group. Stafford really came through this year. Romo puts up fantasy points. IF Vick stays healthy he can be a stud. I'd probably draft all of them before I'd pick Rivers.
Really.Don't for a second mistake the massive difference in leadership between the two. Massive.
This is an odd unfair statement IMO
They didn't draft him.
Call it what you want of a planned draft day trade where a player is never going to be on the drafting team
Remember when Brady was hitting 9 different receivers a game? He doesn't do that much anymore because his top 3 options are that good, but give credit where credit is due.
He had a major shoulder injury (labrum tear I believe) in the final game of that season. Without that injury I think they would have kept him.
The labrum tear was 3 years later. He was healthy in 2003, just playing poorly.
At the time the Chargers were a pretty bad, unstable organization. It's typical of teams like that to throw in the towel on players (and coaches) prematurely.Having said that, off the top of my head I can't think of anybody giving up on a quarterback with that kind of talent so early.
Funny, I read this and to me it comes across as a reason to target and go after Rivers. I guarantee all 7 with the exception of maybe Vick will get drafted before Rivers, and I think Eli will as well. So now Rivers is going as QB9 or maybe even QB10 behind Ryan who had a very good 2nd half of the year. Unless something really changes next year, that means his ADP is probably in the 7th round. That screams value to me.Gates missing time is a foregone conclusion, but he wasnt healthy going into this year whereas he may next year. Dont disagree VJax is hit or miss, but he's still a big play guy. Floyd was great once he came back this in week 13, getting 455/4 over the last 5 weeks. Vincent Brown was impressive at times and will be in his 2nd year.'twistd said:
Remember last year when the Chargers had so many injuries plus Jackson's holdout? Consider:Rivers completed passes to 17 different playersRivers completed at least 13 passes to 13 different playersRivers completed TD passes to 11 different playersIt seems more evident for Brees because he throws so many more passes, but the bottom line is that all of these QBs (Brees, Brady, Rivers) are great QBs and are great at distributing the ball. I don't really see this as being particularly relevant to the discussion.
At the time the Chargers drafted Rivers, Brees was coming off his second season as San Diego's starting QB. In 2002, the first of those seasons, he led the team to an 8-8 record and put up a 76.9 QB rating. Not bad for a first year starter. But then he followed that up with a 67.5 QB rating and a 2-9 record... and 41 year old Flutie was 2-3 in the 5 games Brees missed due to injury. The Chargers were justified in thinking they needed to draft another QB.If Rivers hadn't held out as a rookie in 2004, it is very possible he would have beaten Brees out and who knows how things would have transpired... but to his credit, Brees seized that opportunity and put up 2 very good back to back seasons.In Brees's two good seasons in San Diego, his composite QB rating was 96.1, and he was 20-11 as a starter. Rivers' career QB rating is 95.5, and he is 63-33 as a starter. (Regular season only.) Looks like a wash.Back to the thread topic, I don't see a big gap there, as if Brees would have led the Chargers to a Super Bowl victory.
There's no doubt that Brees regressed in his 2nd year as a starter. But a lot of young quarterbacks regressed in their 2nd year. It just seems like most teams give young QBs at least 3 years to prove their case, while Brees was only given 1 3/4.
More like Nate Kaeding.In January 2005, Kaeding became only the second rookie in NFL history to attempt a potential game-winning field goal in the playoffs in the 4th quarter or overtime. His 40-yard field goal attempt missed, and the Chargers lost in the wild card round to the New York Jets, who won the game on a Doug Brien field goal.
