News

The first half stats for Philip Rivers couldn’t get much better. 

Photo Gallery: Chargers vs. Buccaneers | More Photos

He completed 16 of 18 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns for a QB rating of 156.7.

Unfortunately, the Rivers we saw in the second half, and more specifically the fourth quarter, was a very different quarterback as he threw two picks, including a pivotal interception returned for a touchdown that proved fatal.

 “We were rolling pretty good most of the game, but it’s a four quarter game,” said Rivers.  “We played really good for 50 minutes, and then you have a couple bad minutes and you lose.  That’s the way it goes.”

For the game, Rivers’ overall stat line was solid.  He finished 29 of 37 for 337 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 109.1.

“I thought Philip was having a great game,” said Malcom Floyd, who caught one of Rivers’ three scores on the day. “He was spreading the ball around to a lot of receivers and was making really big plays.  But we all, myself included, have to play that way for the entire game.  There were a couple routes where I messed up and I could have helped him out down there at the end.”

While Rivers addressed the game as a whole, he kept coming back to the interception returned for a touchdown that proved to be the turning point of the game.

“Essentially one play can ruin a game and cost a game,” he said. “In hindsight, not only do I wish I threw it over his head, I probably shouldn’t have thrown the ball period. Kick a field goal and we tie it up.  This game is played in quick decisions and I made the wrong one there.”

If the Chargers want to rebound from this loss and put themselves back in the AFC playoff picture, they will need the Rivers of the first 45 minutes to show up for a complete game.  That starts right away as they travel to Denver for a crucial match against the Broncos.