📡 Alabama's Greatest Players: Of the ones who got away, Philip Rivers may be No. 1

[Kevin Scarbinsky |]

The Decatur native and Athens High product starred at NC State, and he's still starring for the San Diego Chargers as one of the top passers in NFL history.

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[BamaFan334]

Call me crazy, but I've never been impressed with Rivers. He's always come off as cocky, and that's not appealing when you're producing an average result. Reminds me of a Georgia fan.

 

[TUSKtimes]

He has a very unorthodox throwing motion that might have been difficult for coaches to see through. So Scarbinsky was chunking the stats and invoking the names of HOF QBs from Alabama to remind everyone Rivers stats are better. Right to where we get to Superbowl wins or lack therof.

Wouldn't trade him for a kid we plucked out of Beaver Falls, PA. Wouldn't trade him for that running back out of Michigan. Wouldn't trade him for Mr. Henry out of Jacksonville, or Derrick Thomas and Amari Cooper from Miami.

See how that works Kevin? When a lot, lose a few.

 

['65 Cobra]

Scab-insky compares total passing yards between Rivers and Starr, Namath, and Stabler. Rivers, of course, has much more as the league rules are so vastly different now that it almost has nothing to do with talent. In the days of Starr, Namath, and Stabler, DBs could literally mug, beat and hold receivers. People were not passing so much.

Either way, ole Scabby conveniently neglects to raise the point of championships. Rivers took the Chargers to one AFC Championship game and lost. No Super Bowls. Stabler took the Raiders to five AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl, and won the Super Bowl. Namath took the Jets to one AFC Championship game and won and then won the Super Bowl. Bart Starr took the Packers to three NFL Title games before the Super Bowl and won all of them. He then took the Pack to two additional NFL championship games, one them both, then went on to win both subsequent Super Bowls as well.

Oh, by the way, this was also during a time when QBs had to call their own games. Yeah. I think I'd take any of the Bama three (especially Stabler) over Philip Rivers, thanks.

 

[TerryP]

Scab-insky compares total passing yards between Rivers and Starr, Namath, and Stabler. Rivers, of course, has much more as the league rules are so vastly different now that it almost has nothing to do with talent. In the days of Starr, Namath, and Stabler, DBs could literally mug, beat and hold receivers. People were not passing so much.

The point the NFL has closer hash-marks for Rivers than any of the players cited has a role as well. It opened up the field quite a bit for passing as compared to what it was a quarter of a century ago.

As a small side note, those moves also had a bearing on the kicking game. It's one of the reason I believe we see fewer straight on kickers now-a-day.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Philips Rivers could have been at Bama at a time Dennis Franchione was teaching the Tide the veer offense and of course how to "hold the rope." Shula was perfecting his short yardage "jumbo package." Best to just fast forward.