Philip Rivers
Don’t tell Philip Rivers it just a preseason game. He only knows one way to play. Hard.
Some players play for the money. Some play for fame. So it’s always refreshing to see someone play football because they simply just love to play the game. Philip Rivers just loves to play the game, even if it is just a meaningless preseason game.
For a guy who once played in an AFC Championship Game on practically one leg, after having mid-week surgery on his knee, taking it easy on the field is not an option. Especially, when the opposing team’s safety is about to score a touchdown. In a preseason game, most players would ease up and let the other team score. It is only the preseason after all, right?
That’s not what happened here in San Diego, as the Chargers hosted the Dallas Cowboys for their second preseason game. With about three minutes left in the first half, Cowboys safety Barry Church picked up a Darren Sproles fumble and headed down the sideline for what appeared to be the tying touchdown. Philip Rivers, however, doesn’t like to see the other team score.
Rivers gave chase, eluded Anthony Spencer’s would-be block, and put his shoulder down and made a touchdown saving tackle at the Charger’s eight yard line. It only briefly kept the Cowboys out of the end zone as they scored three plays later, but when asked, Rivers said,
I don’t know how you let a guy score. They’re keeping score.”
Head coach Norv Turner was asked about the tackle and he simply responded,
Would you expect anything else?”
Of course Turner pulled Rivers out of the game after that play. When Rivers was asked if Turner said anything to him about making the tackle in a preseason game, he just smiled and said,
He really didn’t, other than to say you’re done!”
Rivers is a fierce competitor and he hates to lose. He scored the Chargers first touchdown of the game on a quarterback sneak, another risky play for an exhibition game. There were many questions as to why Rivers would risk injury in a meaningless preseason game, but he is setting a healthy example for all players on the team. If the starting quarterback goes all out and plays hard in the preseason, shouldn’t everyone else on the team do the same? Ultimately, Rivers may be trying to send a message to players who were not on the field.
The Chargers played the game without WR Vincent Jackson and T Marcus McNeill who are both holding out for new contracts. If those players were not motivated by the fact that Rivers and the first string offense looked solid without them, then maybe watching their quarterback making tackles in a preseason game might get them back on the field.
Very nice write-up, Steven. Even more dramatic to have witnessed. Everyone in the stadium knew the significance of both plays as the oohs, wows, and oh god no reactions were thunderous.
Great article… Too bad I couldn’t see the game… It again proves Philip Rivers has cojones like Mike Tyson…
I admire Rivers’s passion for the game, but you need to think BIG PICTURE. It’s been said in the show over and over how decisions are good or bad regardless of their outcome. I have two words for you Philip: Wes Welker. Busted knee in meaningless game and ruined Pats chance in playoffs (and Pats lost that game too). If Rivers injures his shoulder in that play, Chargers season is ruined, period. I don’t say don’t try to stop the oponent, but not if you have ro risk that much… Just sayin’
“decisions are good or bad regardless of their outcome” – Nacho, discussing how that would ruin the Chargers season is discussing an outcome. I know you probably meant ‘game specific outcome’. I see what you mean, it would have ruined their season, and they’re my team! I find this hard to judge, generally my opinion is I’ve no problem with it, it’s refreshing to see the commitment, especially when I’m on the other side of the globe and most people refer to NFL as ‘ the game with all that pads that take 3 hours with about 15 minutes of action’.
If they didn’t do this in the pre season there’d be no point to the games. ‘Don’t run too fast, might pull something, don’t jump too high, might strain something, don’t catch that pass, might crack a finger, don’t hover in the pocket, might have your helmet knocked off and head split ope…’
Does this make him the Anti-Favre?
Great play – helps to show all NFL players how the game should be played. If I were his coach I would hug him and slap him on the back and tell him how proud I was of him, then take him into my office and rip him a new A– HOLE !! This is the star of the team. The entire SEASON depends on this man. The TEAM depends on this man. This is not the AFC Championship game where you lose you don’t go to the Superbowl, this is not a playoff game where you lose you go home, this is not even a game you need to win to get into the playoffs this is PRE-SEASON !! ” AHHH the GLORY…”
Nicely written Steven Thanks
This is why I love Philip… he plays the game the way it should be played. A lot of players are in it for the fame, the money, etc. Philip reminds me of Brett Favre when he was with Green Bay. He plays with an obvious love for the game.
Nice to see that he cares about the game in this age where everything is about the money not the game
Kyle Orton’s now taken this one step further by making the tackle when it didn’t even count!