Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

I thought this might be an interesting discussion. Which QB do you think is playing at a higher level RIGHT NOW considering both are playing like gods.

[bkrich83]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Tough to say. Vick has been lights out. My only concern with him is durability due to his playing style.

Rivers is getting it done despite missing pretty much all of their playmakers. I am interested to see what Rivers does as they get Jackson, Gates and Naenee back along with Floyd hopefully staying healthy.

Don't sleep on Manning either. They are missing a ton of players and he's played outstanding as well.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Tough to say. Vick has been lights out. My only concern with him is durability due to his playing style.

Rivers is getting it done despite missing pretty much all of their playmakers. I am interested to see what Rivers does as they get Jackson, Gates and Naenee back along with Floyd hopefully staying healthy.

Don't sleep on Manning either. They are missing a ton of players and he's played outstanding as well.

Wow lol, you know Rivers and Vick are playing at an unbelievable level when you forget about Manning. Even Brady has played very well. It's been so exciting watching these guys play this year (even more so than every other year)

[55]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Rivers for me and it's not even close. His playing style holds up much better in the long run.

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Rivers, has been playing at a high level for a few years now. The way he's playing he's gonna do what Brees/Manning,etc have done and make some of these unknown receivers well known.

[grunt]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Rivers is doing more with less than any other qb in the league including Manning.

[snowman5607]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Philip Rivers hands down.

[Senator Palmer]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

I came in here thinking this is a push, then I was quickly reminded that Rivers put up 35 points last night while basically throwing to guys he met five minutes ago. No doubt Michael Vick has been incandescent, but he is churning out video game numbers with a fully stocked arsenal of weapons. Still, no easy feat, but Phillip Rivers took the field last night without future Hall of Famer Ladainian Tomlinson; without the 1st rounder, Ryan Matthews, who was drafted to replace him; without future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates; and without Vincent Jackson. Yet that offense kept churning up and down the field.

There are a myriad of stats you can throw out to support Rivers, from the 23 touchdowns, to 5,000 yard pace, to the 65.2% completion rate, but to me, the biggest, and most eye-popping stat is the 9.0 yards per pass attempt.

9.0 YARDS!

Now there are a lot of stats in football that are empty. They simply don't add up to truly painting the picture of a great player. Just see Kyle Orton's stats vs. the way he played last night. But yards per attempt is the true gauge of what a quarterback is doing for his team. David Carr led the league in completion percentage one year with 68.3, but it was only for 6.3 an attempt. You simply can't get anything done with that.

If you get a quarterback that's getting over 7 yards an attempt, then he is really pushing the ball up the field with consistency. 9 yards is simply ridiculous. 9 yards with a 65 plus completion percentage is all but unheard of. Tom Brady never got to 9 yards an attempt. Brees has never gotten there, even the year he almost clipped Marino's single season yard mark. Manning has only done it once, and Dan Marino, the man whom Rivers is most often compared to, only did it once.

That's the kind of rare air Phillip Rivers is playing in right now... and without all of his weapons.

[grunt]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Should coach Turner get some love/credit for Rivers success?

[Senator Palmer]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Should coach Turner get some love/credit for Rivers success?

I'll give this a resounding yes. As blown away as I was by Rivers last night, I was equally blown away by Turner. Beautiful offense, beautiful design, I love the way he mixes and matches whatever personel he's got to work with and finds plays to maximize their skills... that screen to Crayton that went for a touchdown was masterful playcalling. It's like Air Coryell never left.

[RJTurneR]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

No doubt Michael Vick has been incandescent, but he is churning out video game numbers with a fully stocked arsenal of weapons. Still, no easy feat, but Phillip Rivers took the field last night without future Hall of Famer Ladainian Tomlinson; without the 1st rounder, Ryan Matthews, who was drafted to replace him; without future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates; and without Vincent Jackson. Yet that offense kept churning up and down the field.

Finally! Someone else who understands the points I have been trying to make in another 'Vick' thread. Its the one thing people seem to overlook right now. Is Vick playing very good? Yes. Is he on course to tie/beat Marino's record? No. Vick has all of his weapons.

Instead of writing this all out again I have simply copied and pasted. He currently leads the league in passing yards and yards per completion, is tied for first in passing touchdowns and is third in QB rating all while ranking only seventh in pass attempts. Rivers had a 455 yard game, a 431 yard game and three games of 300+ yards. He’s thrown a touchdown to seven different receivers and completed a pass to 14 receivers.

I also just read this not long ago.

Vincent Jackson hasn’t played a game due to a holdout. With him out, Malcolm Floyd became the lead receiver — until he was injured in Week 6. It’s a good thing the Chargers have the always reliable Antonio Gates — except that he’s suffered through foot and toe problems all year and had to sit out the last game. Legedu Naanee looked like a potential breakout star — other than a hamstring that’s limited him for weeks. Guys like Patrick Crayton, Randy McMichael and Seyi Ajirotutu have gone from backups to stars depending on the game, and it’s certainly not because of their own talents. Philip Rivers makes his team better, and that’s what you expect from your MVP.

The MVP is also supposed to be the guy the team can’t live without, and that’s clearly the case for the Chargers. The wide receiving corps has been injured, the running back performances have been underwhelming, the offensive line has allowed 22 sacks and stars of the past like Jackson, Shawne Merriman and LaDainian Tomlinson have played no part in this season. And yet, despite it all, Philip Rivers has led the Chargers to a 4-5 record. That’s a record that, despite what you think, is actually pretty solid this year.

And this...

Rivers is on pace for 5,234 yards this season. Dan Marino holds the single season record of 5,084, meaning Rivers average of 327 yards per game could drop by 20 for the remainder of the season and he would still break the record. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns, just eight interceptions and is averaging an amazing 8.95 yards per pass attempt.

So how is Vick the better MVP candidate? Vick is playing brilliantly, and I like the guy. But I just like Rivers better for the reasons above.

[da ThRONe]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

It's hard to argue against Rivers ,but since people are putting things in prospective about what Rivers is doing I'll play devils advocate for the other side. Just think two years ago Vick was in a prison cell. Imagine if you take Manning, Brees, Rivers, or Brady away from the game for like 2 or so years?

[Hooe]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Nothing against what Vick has done, as he's become a much better player than what he once was, but I'm going with Rivers.

[iAM-IncReDiBLe-]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Vick he just had a game that no one in history has ever had two weeks ago. Right now at this moment I say hes playing at a higher level. This also isn't based on that one game, hes been doing it the whole season.

[SPTO]

Re: Rivers or Vick: Who is Playing at a Higher Level?

Vick he just had a game that no one in history has ever had two weeks ago. Right now at this moment I say hes playing at a higher level. This also isn't based on that one game, hes been doing it the whole season.

You could easily point to Rivers on a pace to break most of Dan Marino's single season passing records to counter that though and remember the Chargers have had almost no one healthy at times.

It's a toss up in my books. I think my answer would change depending on the day LOL.

Right now I say Rivers by the slimmest of margins.