Philip Rivers receives little leeway when he plays poorly

Writer’s Note: I wrote this article at the beginning of the year and have updated it to include 2018 statistics. I believe it is timely considering the heat Rivers took for last week’s loss in which he threw for 400 yards and had an even TD-INT ratio.

It is no secret that a team’s odds of winning are lowered if its QB performs poorly. However, many NFL franchises have shown over the last seven seasons that it is not impossible to bail out a QB who delivers a subpar outing. The Chargers do not fit into this group.

If Philip Rivers is off, the Chargers have been incapable of overcoming his mistakes. September 25th, 2011 is the last time the Chargers won a game in which Rivers threw more interceptions than total touchdowns–defined as passing and rushing touchdown’s provided by the QB.

There have been at least 104 instances since September 25th, 2011 of teams winning a game in which their QB threw more interceptions than total touchdowns. More examples could be found as the below list only focuses on QB’s who have enjoyed a successful season at some point this decade.

The only other regular starters who can match what Rivers has gone through during this period are Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, and Colin Kaepernick. Each of them played in fewer games.

2018

• Jared Goff (x2)
• Deshaun Watson (x2)
• Mitchell Trubisky (x2)
• Patrick Mahomes
• Nick Foles

2017

• Matt Ryan (x2)
• Blake Bortles (x2)
• Marcus Mariota
• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Jameis Winston
• Tom Brady
• Andy Dalton
• Case Keenum
• Matthew Stafford
• Dak Prescott
• Alex Smith
• Josh McCown

2016

• Carson Palmer
• Alex Smith
• Carson Wentz
• Marcus Mariota
• Tyrod Taylor
• Ben Roethlisberger
• Joe Flacco
• Andrew Luck

2015

• Peyton Manning (x5)
• Teddy Bridgewater (x4)
• Ben Roethlisberger (x2)
• Matt Ryan (x2)
• Jameis Winston
• Sam Bradford
• Case Keenum
• Tyrod Taylor
• Robert Griffin III
• Joe Flacco
• Cam Newton
• Russell Wilson
• Andy Dalton

2014

• Andy Dalton (x3)
• Drew Brees (x2)
• Russell Wilson (x2)
• Matthew Stafford (x2)
• Peyton Manning
• Carson Palmer
• Robert Griffin III
• Blake Bortles
• Ryan Tannehill
• Kirk Cousins (didn’t play entire game)
• Case Keenum

2013

• Carson Palmer (x3)
• Andy Dalton (x2)
• Tony Romo
• Andrew Luck
• Drew Brees
• Cam Newton
• Ben Roethlisberger
• Alex Smith
• Joe Flacco
• Russell Wilson

2012

• Eli Manning (x2)
• Matt Ryan (x2)
• Russell Wilson
• Andrew Luck
• Jay Cutler
• Michael Vick
• Matthew Stafford
• Joe Flacco
• Cam Newton
• Andy Dalton
• Tony Romo
• Sam Bradford
• Matt Schaub

Oct.-Jan. 2011

• Joe Flacco (x2)
• Carson Palmer (x2)
• Jay Cutler (x2)
• Drew Brees
• Andy Dalton

Here is a quick breakdown of how many times certain quarterbacks appeared on the above list:

• Andy Dalton – 9 times
• Carson Palmer – 7 times
• Peyton Manning – 6 times
• Matt Ryan – 6 times
• Joe Flacco – 6 times
• Russell Wilson – 5 times
• Matthew Stafford – 4 times
• Drew Brees – 4 times
• Teddy Bridgewater – 4 times
• Ben Roethlisberger – 4 times

Stats like this list are ignored when judging a QB’s win-loss record. Matt Ryan threw 5 interceptions in a 2012 game with 0 TD’s and emerged victoriously. Peyton Manning walked away with five wins in 2015 in which he threw more interceptions than touchdowns.

Most quarterbacks only have a handful of wins via this scenario. It’s the total amount of wins that have been collected which is noteworthy.

This is further evidence that Rivers has not been surrounded by well-rounded rosters this decade. The special teams unit, for instance, has been particularly disappointing and his rushing attack has paled in comparison to his peers.

An in-depth breakdown of the circumstances Rivers has faced is rarely discussed on mainstream sports shows. There will be the occasional two-minute segment about him, but it doesn’t scratch the surface on the situations he has encountered. This hurts his standing with casual fans, who make up a sizable chunk of the football community.

Digging deep into the weeds of his career reveals a treasure chest of ammo to support his Hall of Fame candidacy. That information needs to be given the proper amount of reflection it deserves.