No quarterback has been more irresponsible with the football this season than San Diego's Philip Rivers, who has made the types of throws he never did in the past.
Rivers already has thrown 17 interceptions - two more than he had in any of his five other NFL seasons as a starter - and the Chargers still have six games to play. It's no wonder the Chargers have lost five straight games for the first time since a nine-game losing streak spanning the 2002-03 seasons.
Rivers repeatedly says nothing is wrong, but numerous NFL executives and coaches around the league disagree. What has happened many times in the past is that a quarterback who struggles during the season will acknowledge afterward that he was hurt.
It wouldn't be stunning if the same happened with Rivers. Based on the opinion of people around the league, Rivers has to be playing hurt, no matter how much he denies it.
On the plus side, Rivers has thrown for over 3,000 yards and has 15 touchdown passes. And his numbers have been better over the past three weeks. However, owners in leagues where interceptions result in lost points can't be thrilled at the barrage of turnovers. Rivers still looks like a top-ten quarterback the rest of the way, but it wouldn't be out of the question to sit him if he's got a tough matchup.
