Struggling QB says Chargers on cusp of breakthrough

By: MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff Writer | Sunday, November 25, 2007 12:54 AM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO -- Put away those statistics that show Philip Rivers has thrown more interceptions through 10 games than he did all of last season. Cast aside those videotapes of previous Chargers games that show off-the-mark passes from the team's quarterback.

Rivers, the NFL's 22nd-rated passer, is highly confident that things are coming together for him and an offense that ranks just 21st in the NFL. He's coming off a season-high 309 passing yards against Jacksonville and points to that game as evidence that things are close to turning for the Chargers (5-5), who host Baltimore (4-6) today at Qualcomm Stadium.

"That doesn't make us happy, but it is encouraging," Rivers said of a game the Chargers lost 24-17. "If we can now put it all together and get hot here right now when we're hoping to, then we can turn this into as memorable of a season as we've ever had."

For this season to suddenly become memorable, Rivers must quickly improve his play. The player who was efficient and avoided turnovers a year ago as a first-year starter on a 14-2 team has been turnover-prone and erratic this season.

Rivers committed just 11 turnovers last season -- nine interceptions, two lost fumbles -- but is responsible for 17 miscues (12 interceptions, five lost fumbles) this season. Meanwhile, the Chargers have struggled to a .500 record and only share first place in the AFC West with Denver because of the division's weak collection of teams.

But despite the statistics -- which include 2,052 passing yards and 11 touchdowns -- Rivers insists that he's on the right track.

"It sounds like I'm lying, I know, because I know what the numbers are, too," Rivers said. "I know the numbers don't show it, and I'm not pleased with what they are. But I do feel like I'm getting better every week.

"I'm fully aware of the issues, and I'm going to get them ironed out. But I do feel I'm better today than I was 10 weeks ago."

Rivers passed for 3,388 yards and 22 touchdowns last season and was named to the Pro Bowl squad before pulling out with a foot injury. The belief was that his numbers would be even better this season after the hiring of respected offensive mind Norv Turner as head coach.

But it hasn't been smooth sailing for Rivers. Instead, it has been a bumpy ride filled with four multiple-interception games and boos from the home fans.

Rivers has topped 300 yards just twice, and 10 of his 11 touchdowns have come in four games. The fourth-quarter scoring pass he threw to Antonio Gates against Jacksonville was his first in November.

Still, Rivers claims that he's not much different from being the quarterback who threw two or more touchdowns in a game eight times last season. The one difference he sees is ball security.

"I watch games from last year where I wasn't playing lights out necessarily, but I wasn't making key mistakes that were costing us," said Rivers, who threw two interceptions last week against the Jaguars. "The turnovers -- that's one thing I've always took a lot of pride in and have been able to keep those to a minimum. This year I haven't done that.

"That's not because of a lack of emphasis, I can promise you. There have been some poor plays on my part. I'm going to keep working and get it taken care of."

Today's game against the Ravens could be telling for Rivers. Baltimore has gone 13 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher and is allowing just 2.8 yards per carry, which means counting on LaDainian Tomlinson to carry the team is risky.

"There's no question that he's still the best back in the league, in my opinion, and our guys are very focused on that," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "We take a lot of pride in stuffing the run. What we can't do is get so preoccupied with the run that we let people beat us down the field."

While speaking about the struggles of his own quarterback, Kyle Boller, Billick veered off into a discussion of how tough it is to identify which highly successful college quarterbacks will develop into NFL starters and which ones will be remembered as flops.

The Ravens' coach took a trip down memory lane that makes Chargers' fans cringe -- Indianapolis picking Peyton Manning first overall and leaving Ryan Leaf for the Chargers in the 1998 draft -- as the most glaring example of why identifying top-level quarterbacks is an inexact science.

"As embarrassing as it was, and I know the Chargers are very sensitive to it, but everybody had Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning ranked right there together, and I mean everybody," Billick said. "There will be those that now say, 'No, no, no, no, I saw Ryan Leaf and ... that's (baloney). We all either had them 1 and 2, or 2 and 1. I guarantee you.

"It shows you the nature of it -- on one hand, you have a future Hall of Famer, and the other you had a bust. And we're all susceptible to it."

Contact staff writer Mike Sullivan at (760) 739-6645 or msullivan@nctimes.com.