Los Angeles Chargers: 3 Reasons Philip Rivers can win a Super Bowl
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has withstood the test of time, let's take a look at three reasons why he could also win a Super Bowl.
Los Angeles Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers announced this week that he is ready to play football for the rest of his life, per ESPN. All kidding aside, Rivers did say that he is willing to play football as long as he can in the NFL.
Seriously though, who can blame him? This is the best sports league that we have in the United States and he is playing a sport he loves in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Who wouldn't try to play quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers for as long as they could?
That being said, I still believe that Rivers has a lot to more to give before his career is all said and done.
The NFL is a place where celebrating "Final Fours" and "Elite Eights" aren't exactly a thing. Yes, there is confetti when a team wins their conference championship, but we equate winning the Super Bowl with having a successful career, especially for quarterbacks.
Unfortunately for Rivers, he cannot say that he has won the big game yet. Even though that hasn't always been his fault, it's still something that would change people's perceptions of his career in the NFL.
The good news for Philip Rivers is that I believe he can still win the Super Bowl, but he won't be able to do it without a ton of help from his friends. Let's take a look at three reasons why Philip Rivers can still win the big game.
Jan 1, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt (L) talks with quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
3. The Chargers' Coaching Staff
If there's one thing that I go by in life, it's that no team has ever won the Super Bowl without a great coaching staff. Yes, it's the players that actually play the game, but it's the coaches that put the chess pieces in the right position to win.
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The good news for Philip Rivers is that he now has a great set of coaches around him.
If you didn't notice last season, Rivers was awesome in Whisenhunt's offensive scheme and that should only get better going forward. With the weapons that Rivers now has around him, this Chargers offense will be darn good again in 2017.
I do believe that Anthony Lynn is the right person to be the head football coach for Los Angeles, but I also believe that Whisenhunt and Gus Bradley will be the difference-makers for the Chargers in the playoffs.
Whisenhunt has a great background of coaching playoff football, as he already has a Super Bowl championship accredited to his name. Not to mention, Bradley is largely responsible for that insane Seattle Seahawks defense that we have seen over the past five seasons.
If there's two coordinators that can get Rivers to a Super Bowl, these are the guys.
Jun 13, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (28) catches a pass during mini camp at Charger Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
2. Melvin Gordon
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Other than solid defensive efforts, there's nothing better for a run towards the Super Bowl than a strong rushing game. Being able to run the football opens up everything else for an offense, especially for this specific Los Angeles Chargers offense that currently has a plethora of offensive superstars.
Melvin Gordon showed everyone in the NFL last season why he is worth every penny the Chargers are paying him. If he didn't get injured at the end of last season, he would have definitely gone for over 1,000 yards.
I believe that over these next few years, Gordon is going to be one of the most reliable, yet dangerous running backs in the entire league. As we saw last season, he is a touchdown machine inside of the ten yard line. When you throw Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry into that red zone mix, you'll quickly understand why teams will have a hard time stopping this Chargers offense going forward.
Needless to say, that is going to be one dangerous combination whenever the Chargers sneak back into the playoffs again.
Nov 27, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) and outside linebacker Melvin Ingram (54) walk onto the field before a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
1. The Chargers Young, Hungry Defense
If you're a fan of defensive talent, then the AFC West is definitely worth watching. I could be wrong, but this may just be the best defensive division in all of the NFL, especially heading into the 2017 season.
There has not been one quarterback to win the Super Bowl that hasn't had a great defense behind him. You could make an argument for Peyton Manning with the Colts or Drew Brees with the Saints, but those guys at least feasted off of turnovers.
If there's one reason to hope that Philip Rivers could get a Super Bowl victory before he retires it's because of that young & hungry defense. Not to mention, they just added a great defensive coordinator in Gus Bradley.
Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram could make Los Angeles' pass-rush one of the best in the NFL this season. Both players are extremely physical and will stop at nothing to take down the man behind center. If we learned anything from this past year's Super Bowl, it's that you must have a fourth quarter pass-rush.
If Philip Rivers has enough left in the tank over the next few seasons, I would not be surprised at all to see him going out with a Lombardi Trophy.
