FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 5/16/2013 11:35pm et

San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy said the team will ask QB Philip Rivers to play a huge role in reducing the learning curve for the rest of the bodies on offense this year. 'We're going to throw as much of the offense as Philip can handle,' McCoy said. 'When he tells us to slow down, we'll slow down.' Rivers said the practices with new head coach McCoy have been designed for more intermediate passes than in recent years.

Huddle Up: McCoy, a first-time head coach, is right to lean on Rivers with all the new faces on the roster. Meanwhile, though, Rivers will be leaning on his offensive line -- and first-round pick D.J. Fluker in particular -- after he was sacked 49 times in 2012, second only to the Aaron Rodgers (51).

Posted: 4/4/2013 4:46pm et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers could be in his final season with the team after two sub-par seasons and a new coaching staff in town.

Huddle Up: Just a thought: Maybe the Bolts ought to think about shoring up their pass protection before they go looking for another QB. Rivers' passing-yards totals and TDs have declined in each of the past 3 seasons, but over that span he's been sacked 117 times -- second most in the league behind Aaron Rodgers (118).

Posted: 2/20/2013 3:27pm et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers has seen his play slip over the last two season, particularly in terms of ball security; however, new head coach Mike McCoy is confident he can get the best out of Rivers in 2013. "I think Philip's gonna do a great job with us," McCoy said. "We're very fortunate to have him here. A very talented player and a great guy to have as the face of your franchise."

Huddle Up: McCoy is fresh off of working with Peyton Manning, but more importantly he was able to wring productivity out of both Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton so you have to like his chances with Rivers.

Posted: 1/16/2013 11:19am et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers said during a radio interview Tuesday, Jan. 15, head coach Mike McCoy was the man he was hoping the team would hire all along. "Of the potential candidates, I can honestly say this is the guy I was hoping for. I feel great about it," Rivers said. "We have direction now. We'll all go again. I think Chargers fans should be excited." McCoy said he is looking forward to working with Rivers, calling him a "great guy to have a face of your franchise." McCoy could not explain why Rivers' production has declined in the last two seasons; however, he promised he would ask the quarterback "some tough questions."

Huddle Up: Norv Turner wasn't necessarily the problem with Rivers, but a fresh perspective might be just what Philip needs to get back on track. A couple receivers and a better offensive line wouldn't hurt, either.

Posted: 11/15/2012 1:31pm et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers has committed 40 turnovers since the start of the 2011 season, most in the NFL.

Huddle Up: Rivers has 15 turnovers (12 interceptions, 3 fumbles) which matches his TD pass total and is tied with Tony Romo for the second most in the league behind Matt Cassel's 19. And don't think the QB isn't being reminded of this every 15 minutes this week, as the Chargers are prepping for their rematch with the Broncos, who gladly accepted 4 picks and 2 fumbles from Rivers in Week 6.

Posted: 11/13/2012 5:04pm et

San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner said QB Philip Rivers 'gave us a chance to win' in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Turner thinks Rivers tries to do too much at times.

Huddle Up: Rivers posted his best fantasy numbers of the season in Week 10 with 337 passing yards and 3 TDs, but his 2 interceptions proved costly in reality as Bolts were bounced by the Bucs, 34-24. Up next is a rematch with the Broncos, who intercepted Rivers 4 times and caused the QB to fumble twice in Week 6.

Posted: 10/29/2012 3:01pm et

There is a belief among some NFL executives that there is something wrong with San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers' throwing arm. Rivers went 18-for-34 with 154 yards in the team�s Week 8 game, and has averaged only 6.8 yards per attempt, which is a career worst for him. Rivers has also turned the ball over 12 times through the first half of the season.

Huddle Up: Rivers has really crashed and burned over the last season's worth of games and is no longer a dependable starter.

Posted: 10/28/2012 12:51pm et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers faces difficult weather conditions for the Week 8 game against the Cleveland Browns, as a steady rain is falling with gusty winds and chilly temperatures.

Huddle Up: Weather may be an issue in a couple of east coast games today.

Posted: 10/18/2012 11:29am et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers said he will continue to play aggressive despite talk from head coach Norv Turner that the offense could take less risks. "There's a fine line between being careful and careless," Rivers said. "You don't want to play the whole game careful, but you certainly don't want to play careless. We've always been aggressive, and I'm going to continue being aggressive. I'll throw another interception this season. But I need to make sure it's not like it was the other night."

Huddle Up: Rivers' style has never been "cautious", so don't expect much to change. He'll still take plenty of chances down the field, and so long as he's hitting on more than he's missing he's a fantasy asset. Of course, it helps when Norv Turner keeps Ryan Mathews on the field rather than saddling the San Diego offense with Jackie Battle.

Posted: 10/16/2012 7:57pm et

San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner is determined to reduce the number of turnovers for QB Philip Rivers, even if that means scaling back the passing game. Rivers fumbled twice and threw a career-high four interceptions in their Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos Monday, Oct. 15. Turner said he may get more conservative due to Rivers' struggles in the aggressive passing game. Rivers needs to improve his throwing mechanics, as many of his turnovers have been while throwing off his back foot.

Huddle Up: Rivers' turnover issues -- a whopping 37 since the start of last season -- have coincided with the Chargers' offensive line decline. On Monday night, LT Jared Gaither was inactive and the mobile-as-a-statue Rivers was sacked 4 times and pressured most of the night by the Broncos. Once a renowned deep thrower, Rivers and the Chargers already have been forced to adjust with more screens and quick routes and keeping more RBs and TEs in to block.

Posted: 10/16/2012 12:20am et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers completed 25-of-41 passes for 242 yards and a pair of TDs, but also threw four interceptions and fumbled twice Monday night in a 35-24 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Huddle Up: Rivers appeared to be on the way to a strong fantasy start with a pair of first-half TD tosses to TE Antonio Gates, but celebration quickly turned into exasperation in the second half as the QB was picked off 3 times and fumbled twice -- two of them run back for Broncos' TDs -- as the Chargers coughed up a 24-0 halftime lead. With his 6 turnovers, Rivers matched his total from his first 5 games, and now with a dozen in 6 games, his 2012 season is starting to bear too much of a resemblance to his 25-turnover 2011 campaign.

Posted: 9/6/2012 4:10pm et

After throwing 20 interceptions last season, San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers threw four picks in the preseason. He will also be playing without LT Jared Gaither (back) in Week 1.

Huddle Up: Rivers' 25 total turnovers last season were more than double his 2009 total of 12 and eclipsed his previous season-high by 4. It's hard to fathom Rivers being that poor again, but then again, the state of the Chargers' offensive front has never been more in question during Rivers' tenure than it is heading into 2012.

Posted: 8/23/2012 12:04pm et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers will play in the team's preseason game Friday, Aug. 24, despite the team missing three starters from the offensive line. "This is a group we could be playing opening day with," head coach Norv Turner said. "We're going to prepare. They are guys who certainly will be dressed on opening day the way we're at now. I've got a lot of confidence in the guys we're going to line up on the offensive line."

Huddle Up: It's almost as if Norv is saying, "Phil's gonna have to learn to run for his life sooner rather than later, might as well start now." There's the possibility the line could hold in front of Rivers, and with no Ryan Mathews the Chargers will need to throw so their pass blocking will be tested. If they look as bad as you get the feeling they might, Rivers and his receivers will get a nudge down the cheat sheet.

Posted: 7/19/2012 8:48am et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers said he will miss WR Vincent Jackson, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason; however, he is excited about the receivers on the roster. 'You miss Vincent Jackson, I wish we never had to lose any of the big free agents that we lost,' Rivers said. 'But at the same time, I'm excited about who we gained in return. And getting Eddie Royal, getting Robert Meachem, those are guys that can make plays and do some different things.'

Huddle Up: Rivers is coming off a rough year with 20 INTs, 7.9 yards per attempt, 62.9 percent completions, and a 88.7 QB rating; his worst marks in each category since 2007, his second year as a starer. It's bad timing to lose a guy like Vincent Jackson, not just because of his talent, but because he knew Rivers and the system so well.

Posted: 5/22/2012 10:11am et

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers said he has been working on building a rapport with WRs Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, Micheal Spurlock and Roscoe Parrish because it will be easier to him to communicate with them and understand their tendencies. Rivers said creating chemistry and timing with the receivers on the field is something they can work on during offseason workouts.

Huddle Up: The Chargers are overhauling their receiving corps, but don't forget Antonio Gates--reportedly healthy--and Malcom Floyd, who put up strong per-game numbers despite the presence of now-departed Vincent Jackson. Any work Rivers and the receivers do now to get on the same page can only help come fall.