Philip Rivers no longer sits at the kids table of the NFL. He has rightfully earned his spot as one of the NFL’s elite QB’s. Rivers has built toughness about him. He’s developed a swagger and has single handedly pulled his team up from the depths of the AFC time and time again.

During the 2008 season Rivers Threw for 4,009 yards and 34 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions. Drew Brees is the only quarterback among the elite to throw as many touchdowns, but with 7 more interceptions.

Rivers is ranked the 5th overall QB in the preseason according to CBS Sports. I think he deserves a little bit higher due to the fact that Rivers pulled a lifeless 8-8 Chargers out of the trenches last season to win the AFC west against a red hot Denver Broncos. In the post season Rivers led the Chargers past Peyton’s Colts 23-17 only to lose to the super bowl champs, the Steelers, by a little less than 2 scores in Pittsburg.

Not to freakin’ shabby!

Philip Rivers is underrated. He has continued to show us his strength and persistence throughout the past couple seasons. He’s proved to his team that he is capable in leading them to more W’s and AFC Championships, even when his players continue to struggle with injuries.

LT hurt?

No problem. It doesn’t matter anymore because this is Rivers team now and this season he has even more to prove. There may be doubters and even fans who find it hard to believe that the Chargers will come alive this season without playing catch up and make it all the way. I am not one of those doubters. The Chargers making it past the AFC Championship this season is anything less than an accomplishment for Rivers and the Chargers and Rivers knows it.

The pressure is on and Rivers is no stranger to it.

It’s gonna be one hell of an exciting 09-10 season!

– Enter Raiders Fans Comments… NOW! –

Let me know which game(s) you ended up getting tickets too in the comments.

I’ll see ya there!

Here is a complete scheduale of the 2009-10 San Diego Chargers football games:

I tend to believe the answer is somewhere in the middle.

From where I sit, which is quite a distance outside the Chargers organization, it’s impossible for me (and all those who think they know better) to properly gauge the decision LaDainian and/or the coaches made on that day. Surely there are mitigating circumstances that will remain unsaid. Nevertheless, people have jumped to conclusions like Tom Cruise on Oprah’s couch.

I’ve always thought the easiest way to wrap your mind around a situation and chorale the intangibles is to figure that the truth is somewhere in the creamy center.

I think Tomlinson should have been out there, but certainly not touching the rock 25 times with a busted knee. Red Zone offense is what killed this team. Inside the 10, Tomlinson could try at least once to break through the line and get in the endzone. Even if he was good for a single, full-speed run, he should have done it. Or put him in as a decoy. Have him take a direct snap, turn it into a gadget play, pass it off in a reverse, something, anything would have been better than anchoring the bench the whole game.

Conversely, no one wants Tomlinson to put himself before the team, demand to play even though he’s not at full capacity, and hurt the team with a poor performance. Whether he thought of it or not, one good hit to an existing injury could very well be a career ender.

Tomlinson still comes across as a ‘team guy’. This situation doesn’t lump him in ego-wise with the likes of Owens or Moss. But someone that day eclipsed Tomlinson as a leader- Philip Rivers.

So Chargers fans are left playing the “shoulda-woulda-coulda” game for another off-season.

I am done with the controversy, if there legitimately ever was one. There is one question that still resonates, however: is a LaDainian Tomlinson, leagues leading rusher, single season deity, former league MVP at 50% worse than his backup at 100%? Guess we’ll never know.