Winning in Denver a feat that has eluded many Chargers QBs

By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Saturday, November 18, 2006 8:38 PM PST ∞

DENVER ---- Drew Brees couldn't do it. Same goes for Doug Flutie, Ryan Leaf, Craig Whelihan, John Friesz, Billy Joe Tolliver, Jim McMahon, Babe Laufenberg, Mark Herrmann and Ed Luther.

Can Philip Rivers? The Chargers will tangle with Denver tonight in a nationally televised game to determine the AFC West leader. They'll do so knowing that the Broncos have beaten them in 10 of their last 11 Colorado excursions, and 17 of the past 19.

None of the Chargers quarterbacks listed above ever tasted victory a mile above sea level. Tonight, the NFL will see if Rivers can buck the trend.

Brees had three starting chances at Invesco Field at Mile High and came up empty. Last year, he confidently led the Chargers to a 14-3 lead into the second half, only to get snookered by Denver cornerback Champ Bailey for an interception returned for a touchdown. The Chargers went on to lose 20-17.

The Chargers ultimately picked Rivers as their quarterback over Brees. So far, so good, as the first-year starter has fashioned a 7-2 record with his steady play.

But will he blink before the stomping feet of some 75,000 brazen Broncos boosters?

"He hasn't yet,'' coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "I'm sure this will be the first of many games he will play there.''

His play is aÝbig reason why the Chargers are tied with the Broncos for a share of first place. He's coming off a career day with 338 passing yards in a win over Cincinnati last week, producing his fourth game this season with a QB rating above 100.

With his keen aim, Rivers has thrown 122 straight passes and gone three consecutive games (15 quarters) without an interception. Those are gaudy numbers that elicit a shrug from the Chargers' biggest star.

" I don't think anyone is surprised by the way Philip is playing,'' said running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL's touchdown leader.

Rivers scored with teammates by what he did before the season. The results he has generated only confirm what many anticipated.

"Philip has been here three years now, and every day we've seen the guy work and we've seen him making all the throws that you want from a quarterback," Tomlinson said. "And then when he took over the spot as a starter, we (watched) him through offseason camps and minicamp and training camp, and so we've seen something special. We knew that we could continue to keep rolling as an offense.''

Rivers, with 13 touchdown pass and three interceptions, has provided a sturdy grip on the wheel of the NFL's highest-scoring offense.

"I think a lot of guys knew that he was going to be good and he wasn't going to take a while to come in and adjust to the speed of the game,'' Tomlinson said.

That speed has decreased, which has hastened Rivers' maturation.

"It has slowed down; it slows down a little bit every game,'' said Rivers, who has completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,084 yards. "Every game there is a comfort level out there that it isn't happening too fast.''

With lightening speed over the past six weeks, Rivers has helped slay the idea of Martyball. The conservative approach following Schottenheimer to every coaching outpost has disappeared.

"Sometimes that gets blown out of perspective,'' said Rivers, the leader of an offense that has scored at least 32 points in four of the past five weeks. "That has traveled with him, I guess, but from my standpoint, over the last three years when it has been mentioned, it has been a little bit of an overkill.

Ý"But I think what falls in that line with Martyball is Charger Ball. That is ball security; that is the No. 1 thing. The two games that we lost is where we turned it over ---- Kansas City and Baltimore. In other games, we didn't turn it over.''

So Rivers arrives at the foot of the Rockies, hoping to turn over a new Leaf. Or Brees.

Or just gain revenge for the other Chargers quarterbacks who've failed to return from Denver with a victory.

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com. Comment at sports.nctimes.com.