Philip Rivers is either a massive bargaining chip for the San Diego Chargers or he’s their quarterback of the future. And while the former is the more likely scenario, Rivers has taken all of 8 snaps in real competition since being acquired in the 2004 Draft day deal that brought Eli Manning to the Giants. With the Chargers having been eliminated from playoff contention, what possible reason could there be for coach Marty Schottenheimer sticking with Drew Brees in this weekend’s finale with Denver? The Union-Tribune’s Jay Posner writes that Schottenheimer is less concerned with Rivers’ development and/or showcasing the QB compared to…the Chargers’ regular season record?
“We will play everybody that is healthy enough to play,” Schottenheimer said. “Our starters will start, our starters will play, because we have one objective and that is to get to 10-6.”
It might seem as if there’s little difference between finishing 10-6 or 9-7 “ except the latter could mean playing Buffalo and Tennessee next year instead of Miami and Jacksonville “ but Schottenheimer disagreed.
“There’s a difference between preseason and regular season in my view,” he said. “Ours is about winning football games. And as strange as it might sound, 10-6 just sounds a lot better to me than 9-7.”
“Winning, that’s the name of the game,” Schottenheimer said. “I understand those that might say play Philip and all, but that’s not the way the National Football League, in my view, is set up. Our goal is to win the game and get our 10th victory. That’s our objective.”