I believe the Broncos-Chargers rivalry really got heated when Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers use to jaw back-and-forth on and off the field. That fire was stoked when Josh McDaniels allegedly taunted Chargers players during warm-ups in last year’s November contest.
In the past few years, the Broncos and Chargers have also interchanged between the No.1 and No.2 spot in the AFC West.
Even though Jay Cutler is long gone and the Broncos and Chargers sit at the bottom of the division, the recent personal and competitive nature of the rivalry makes Monday’s game a big deal.
Ranked No. 1 and No.2 in total passing yards this season, Philip Rivers and Kyle Orton will make this week’s matchup in San Diego sensationally showy.
It seems that most NFL teams have gravitated towards the passing game. There are a lot of dangerous quarterbacks in the league, and now, Orton is grouped into that category. There’s no doubt that Philip Rivers as well.
“When you’re talking about Peyton , and Brady, and Brees, you better be talking about Philip Rivers,” McDaniels said during Wednesday’s press conference.
Even though Rivers has not won a Super Bowl, he can still be grouped into the “elite” category.
Rivers has guided the Chargers so well that they are the 1st-ranked passing offense and the 5th-ranked total offense in terms of points per game. Even Kyle Orton has respect for what their offense is capable of. “Throughout the week, I always watch San Diego’s offense. They’ve got a good, explosive offense that do a lot of good things,” Orton said.
Philip Rivers is a player that fits right into Norv Turner’s system, and that makes him so successful. When asked to describe what Rivers has that makes him so successful, McDaniels offered a lot of praise.
“He’s the best deep ball thrower that we’re going to play or that I’ve studied. He’s got an uncanny abililty to ignore everything that’s going on right around him in the pocket, and he maintains all of his focus down the field,” McDaniels said. “It doesn’t matter how close to him you are in the pass rush, if you make one small mistake in the secondary, he always sees it. Once he sees it, he has a quick release, he’s extremely accurate, he takes care of the football, and he plays in a system with a coach that designs offenses as well or better than everyone else.”
As the nation watches Peyton Manning and Tom Brady duke it out in the air on Sunday, many people won’t realize that is just the appetizer. The main course will be served up on a silver platter on Monday night.
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