Philip Rivers bore the brunt of criticism in Los Angeles last season as the Chargers finished just 5-11 on the year. The veteran threw 20 interceptions and also fumbled eight times, while his touchdown percentage plummeted.
But as Rivers gets set to take over under center for the Indianapolis Colts, he feels he is just about as good as he has ever been.
Rivers acknowledged he made some questionable decisions last year, but also added he “had some throws that probably were as good as any I've made in my career.”
Rivers on the chatter last season that he couldn't play anymore:
"Couldn’t play anymore? Shoot, let’s turn on the tape.
I definitely had some throws I want back, and I’ll own every 1 of those, but I had some throws that probably were as good as any I’ve made in my career."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) June 10, 2020
Indeed, there are other numbers that back up Rivers' ability to play at a high level.
The 38-year-old still completed an even 66 percent of his pass attempts, with an expected completion rate of 64 percent, according to NFL's Next Gen Stats.
Rivers was also playing behind a woeful offensive line. Star left tackle Russell Okung missed the majority of the year, opening up a glaring hole on the blind side. Pro Football Focus ranked L.A.'s offensive line 29th out of 32 teams in 2019.
But protection should not be an issue for Rivers in Indy. The Colts had the third-best offensive line in football, per PFF, and they also re-signed veteran left tackle Anthony Castonzo in the offseason.
The Colts also sought to give Rivers another big target out wide by selecting Michael Pittman Jr. in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard understands Rivers can play, and he felt the Colts had an ideal situation to bring the feisty signal-caller into the fold.
However, Rivers is intent on leaving little doubt he is still one of the better quarterbacks in football.
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