Philip Rivers makes NFL history

[subvet]

He quarterbacked the loser in the biggest come from behind win and it was against his old buddy Peyton Manning.

Rivers is good but the Chargers had Brees, Rivers, and Eli Manning under contract and I think they probably wish things had worked out differently in the choice department.....oh well.

[Superman]

They didn't have Eli under contract; he refused to play for them. That's partially their fault; Spanos and Smith have a reputation that precedes them.

As for Brees, he was a good quarterback back then, but he wasn't special. He certainly wasn't anywhere near as good as he is now. He probably wasn't as good as Rivers has been the last three or four years. He had some injury issues, and his shoulder injury was pretty serious. Hindsight being what it is, absolutely you keep Brees. But realistically speaking, with Marty and Norv instead of Sean Payton, Brees probably doesn't turn into the quarterback he's become. At the time, the decision to move on was very understandable.

[Corndog]

I think dumping Marty for Norv was atleast equal to Rivers versus Brees. Of course looking in hindsight you keep Brees, even at the time I didn't think it was the smartest move since Brees came into his own in the last season. But I understood the move at the time. I never understood hiring Norv Turner. An poor HC before the Chargers who took a great Chargers team and made them mediocre.

[Jules]

I still never understood why they fired Marty after a 14-2 season with a young team. Sure they lost to the Pats in the playoffs, big deal. NE was an experienced veteran SB team at the time. Who was stunned by it.

Rivers is too hot and cold. I never liked the guy but I always thought he might be a good one. I never liked his attitude either and he has always come across as too smug. He sort of reminds me of Romo in how he can throw games away so easily but I actually like Romo a lot more.

[subvet]

They didn't have Eli under contract; he refused to play for them. That's partially their fault; Spanos and Smith have a reputation that precedes them.

Ah, a bit of cranial flatulence on my part as you are right he wasn't under contract but if Archie hadn't been so adamant about not playing for the Chargers who knows what Eli might have decided?

[FireJimCaldwell]

It has to be a bit disheartening to Chargers fans, when they could have had 1 or 3 other quarterbacks that have 5 rings between them. Manning 2, Roethlisberger, 2, & Brees 1. It's not a knock on Rivers, I think he's a great player, and Brees without Sean Payton isn't the same Drew Brees, but it would be interesting to see how the trifecta of Brees, Tomlinson and Larry Fitzgerald would have played out, since they could have simply taken him # 1 and let the Raiders/Giants fight over Eli.

[MAC]

It has to be a bit disheartening to Chargers fans, when they could have had 1 or 3 other quarterbacks that have 5 rings between them. Manning 2, Roethlisberger, 2, & Brees 1. It's not a knock on Rivers, I think he's a great player, and Brees without Sean Payton isn't the same Drew Brees, but it would be interesting to see how the trifecta of Brees, Tomlinson and Larry Fitzgerald would have played out, since they could have simply taken him # 1 and let the Raiders/Giants fight over Eli.

This prompted me to go back and look at the draft. The ironic part of your scenario is that if the Cardinals had 1/2 a brain they would have drafted a QB themselves, and who knows what the Giants would have then done. When you are drafting THAT high and there are multiple good QBs available, why the heck would you worry about your investment in the drek already on your roster. The Chargers decision is interesting because of Brees. The Giants decision is interesting because of their infatuation with Manning. The other teams at the top are interesting just because of how pathetic they were (and in some cases persist in being).

[FireJimCaldwell]

This prompted me to go back and look at the draft. The ironic part of your scenario is that if the Cardinals had 1/2 a brain they would have drafted a QB themselves, and who knows what the Giants would have then done. When you are drafting THAT high and there are multiple good QBs available, why the heck would you worry about your investment in the drek already on your roster. The Chargers decision is interesting because of Brees. The Giants decision is interesting because of their infatuation with Manning. The other teams at the top are interesting just because of how pathetic they were (and in some cases persist in being).

The Cardinals are a whole other story.

They lost out on a shot at either Manning (Peyton in 98 & Eli in 04), by one single game. If my memory serves me correctly when they beat Atlanta in 97 to improve to 4-12, they would have had the tiebreaker for #1 over Indy. They ended up with the #2 pick, but traded it to San Diego to move up for Leaf. In 2003 they had a late 4th quarter score to beat Minnesota which also pushed them to the #2 instead of #1. Two wins in the history of that franchise that cost them a great deal.

Sure they could have selected Rivers or Roethlisberger @ # 2, but neither one was rated that highly. I'm not sure if the Giants would have drafted Rivers without the the thought process of moving him in a trade for Manning. Ernie Accorsi did fall in love with Eli while scouting him at Ole Miss, and was going to get him one way or another.

Here is his scouting report from scouting Eli as a Junior vs. Auburn in 2002

Wears left knee brace… During pregame warmup, didn't look like he had a rocket arm… As game progressed, I saw excellent arm strength under pressure and the ability to get velocity on the ball on most throws. Good deep ball range. Good touch. Good vision and poise.

Sees the field… In shotgun on most plays and his only running option is a draw… his offensive line is poor. Red-shirt freshman left tackle. Eli doesn't trust his protection. Can't. No way he can take any form of a deep drop and look downfield. With no running game (10 yards rushing the first half) and no real top receivers, he's stuck with the three-step drops and waiting til the last second to see if a receiver can get free. No tight end either. No flaring back. So he's taking some big hits. Taking them well. Carried an overmatched team entirely on his shoulders. I imagine, except for Vanderbilt, his team is overmatched in every SEC game… He's big, never gets rattled. Rallied his team from a 14-3 halftime deficit basically all by himself. Led them on two successive third quarter drives to go ahead, 17-16. The first touchdown, a 40-yard streak down the left sideline, he dropped the ball over the receiver's right shoulder. Called the next touchdown pass himself, checking off to a 12-yard slant… Makes a lot of decisions on play calls at the line of scrimmage, but they ask too much of him. They don't just let him play. This is a guy you should just let play… When he's inaccurate, he's usually high, but rarely off target to either side… Plays smart and with complete confidence. Doesn't scold his teammates, but lets them know when they line up wrong or run the wrong pattern… Threw three interceptions. Two were his fault. Trying to force something both times. He could have run on one of them, a fourth down play. He has a lot to learn.

Summary: I think he's the complete package. He's not going to be a fast runner, but a little like Joe Montana, he has enough athletic ability to get out of trouble. Remember how Archie ran? In that department, Eli doesn't have the best genes, although I never timed mom Olivia in the 40. But he has a feel for the pocket. Feels the rush.

Throws the ball, takes the hit, gets right back up… Has courage and poise. In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you can't define. Call it magic. As [former Baltimore Colts defensive back] Bobby Boyd told me once about Unitas, “Two things set him apart: his left groin and his right groin.”... Peyton had much better talent around him at Tennessee. But I honestly give this guy a chance to be better than his brother. Eli doesn't get much help from the coaching staff. If he comes out early, we should move up to take him. These guys are rare, you know.

Ernie Accorsi

The GM: The Inside Store of a Dream Job and the Nightmares That Go With It

http://www.charged.fm/blog/post/1463/eli-manning-according-to-ernie-accorsi-in-2002

I remember after that last Giants/Patriots Super Bowl about how that scouting report somewhat mimicked that final drive in the Super Bowl with the long pass on the left sideline then him checking to a slant... A bit eery.

Link to more specifics of that 2004 Chargers/Giants trade

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/01/16/divisionals/index.html