Yes, it’s early.
Week Six is barely underway, and it may seem somewhat ridiculous to debate potential MVP candidates for the 2014 NFL campaign, but sometimes an argument is so strong, it has to be made. Sometimes, a player is so criminally under-rated, it has to be called attention to at some point. Strong arguments call for strong statements, and this is one of the strongest yet:
In the early portion of this season, Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers is exhibiting the best quarterback play in the league today.
It seems like only yesterday that the pundits were writing off the former NC State star. They said his arm looked shot. He turned the ball over too much. He was never going to lead the Chargers to a Super Bowl. Those pundits were silenced in 2013 when Rivers’ career was re-vitalized under the system of rookie head coach Mike McCoy and then offensive co-ordinator Ken Whisenhunt. His overall stats, which included a league-leading 69.5% completion percentage to go along with 32 touchdown passes, was the main reason the Chargers made an improbable run to the postseason. When Whisenhunt left for the head coaching job in Tennessee, there were some fears that Rivers might regress.
Through a mere five starts this season, it’s safe to say those fears have been quickly extinguished.
In fact, Rivers has been even better this season, leading the Chargers to a 4-1 record in spite of a decimated running back corps. After dropping the opener on Monday Night Football to Arizona, the Bolts are riding a four-game winning streak. As the victories pile up, it would be a mistake to ignore the fact that Rivers is at the top of the league in almost every statistical category.
His 116.3 quarterback rating leads the league, as does his 8.75 yards per passing attempt. His 70.3% completion percentage is also tied for tops in the NFL. His passing yards total ranks fourth (1,443) despite only attempting the 11th-most passes (165). He’s also tied for second in the league with twelve touchdown passes, and has only tossed two interceptions.
When one boils down all of these statistics and numbers, it becomes quite clear that Rivers is demonstrating the most consistently efficient quarterback play in the NFL right now. Unfortunately, very few people are aware of it. Perhaps the fact that San Diego is a smaller market club makes it difficult for him to achieve more notoriety. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t won a Super Bowl ring (yet). Could his oftentimes brash demeanor have something to do with it? Whatever the reason, fans and media alike tend to overlook Rivers’ greatness in favor of other passers.
This cannot happen anymore.
This is a man who’s achieved much more success than people realize. He played in the 2008 AFC Championship game with a torn ACL. Yes, you read that right; a torn ACL. At times, he has carried the Chargers on his back and kept this franchise relevant. In the post LaDainian Tomlinson era, this has been Rivers’ team, and he’s answered the challenge repeatedly.
This is the season that Philip Rivers finally needs to receive the recognition he so richly deserves. He’s been too good for too long, and it’s time everyone around the game took notice. In the midst of perhaps the best season of his career, Rivers needs to be mentioned with the game’s elite. This is saying an awful lot because there are many worthy candidates, but if the 2014 NFL season ended today Philip Rivers is my MVP. An under-the-radar player on an under-the-radar franchise he may be, but to this point in the season no one player has been more responsible for his team’s success than Rivers.
With the Chargers heading up to Oakland to face a reeling Raiders team, look for the Bolts to continue their winning ways, and Rivers to continue to prove his excellence. It’s impossible to write the entire story of the 2014 in five short weeks, but if this keeps up, it will be impossible to ignore what he’s been accomplishing for very long.
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