Chargers better hope Rivers follows Ben, not J.P.

By Connor Byrne  |   Thursday, May 18, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

San Diego Chargers
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When the San Diego Chargers elected not to re-sign Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees this offseason, they put their faith in third-year man Philip Rivers. Although Rivers was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, many have expressed concern over him being awarded the keys to a playoff-ready team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and the Buffalo Bills' J.P. Losman were two of the other first round quarterbacks in that draft, but both have gone in completely separate paths. The Chargers are hoping the former NC State star trails the road Roethlisberger constructed, not the typical one Losman followed for young quarterbacks.

In 2004, Roethlisberger was handed the keys to the Pittsburgh Steelers thanks to a Week Two injury to veteran starter Tommy Maddox. In his 13 starts that season, the rookie version of Roethlisberger went undefeated, tossing 17 touchdowns and doing a wonderful job of managing games every week. Unfortunately for Roethlisberger, the New England Patriots ran roughshod over him and the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, but it was still an incredibly successful season for the rookie. Not only did he grow into one of the game's elite quarterbacks that year as a first-year player, but he also had the best rookie season for a QB since the Miami Dolphins' Dan Marino back in 1983.

As fans know, Roethlisberger encored his grand rookie season with an 11-5 regular season and a Super Bowl victory in 2005. For the second straight year, the former Miami (Ohio) standout threw 17 regular season touchdowns, while allowing his great running game and defense to lead the way to victory.

Losman, the Bills' soon-to-be third-year man, sat in 2004, his rookie season, behind veteran Drew Bledsoe, much like Rivers did behind Brees. Much to the chagrin of the Bills' entire organization and fans, Losman's first season as a full-time starter was a nightmare equivalent to something from a Stephen King novel. He spent half of the season benched behind veteran Kelly Holcomb, stunting his development. Losman's completion percentage was just 49.6 percent, and he threw only eight touchdown passes. The result? A 5-11 season for the Bills, who were supposed to make a run at the playoffs, led by what was expected to be a great running game and defense. However, everything that could have possibly failed did. Now 2006 is a do or die scenario for Losman, who doesn't even have the starting job locked down in Buffalo.

Roethlisberger and Losman were undoubtedly a great example of two extremes from the first round of the '04 draft. While Roethlisberger is among a handful of magnificent quarterbacks in today's league, Losman has been thought of as arguably one of the league's worst starters. Everything has clicked for Roethlisberger for a number of different reasons. Meanwhile, Losman's own mistakes, combined with the team's, have made him into a pariah for many of my colleagues in the media, as well as the Bills' fans.

Chargers fans are left to ponder which quarterback Rivers will end up duplicating in his first season as a starter. Since Rivers has the game's best tight end in Antonio Gates and perhaps the league's best running back in LaDainian Tomlinson, the obvious thought seems to have him following Roethlisberger's path. On the other hand, Losman also had weapons in running back Willis McGahee, as well as receivers Eric Moulds and Lee Evans, but his season failed. One key variable for Rivers' success or failure will end up being the performance of the Chargers' defense.

San Diego's defensive unit ended up ranked 13th in the 2005 season, which aided in its inability to reach the postseason. The Chargers are banking on the addition of rookie first round cornerback Antonio Cromartie, as well as the further development of Defensive Rookie of the Year, linebacker Shawne Merriman, to help their defense gain top 10 status next season. That may sound risky, but general manager A.J. Smith has become one of the best executives in the league, and much of that has come from taking risks.

The pieces seem to be in place for Philip Rivers to have a Roethlisberger-esque first season as a starter, but don't count on it. As the universal football saying goes, "That's why they play the games." So the San Diego Chargers had better hope that "Cool" Brees' departure leads to equal or better things from the position in the form of Rivers.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

Get more on Philip Rivers at Realfootball365.com
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