don't know if this has been posted already or not...

Rivers already in control
Chargers have faith in former N.C. State quarterback
Bernie Wilson, The Associated Press


http://www.newsobserver.com/752/story/465812.html

7/31/2006 2:53:14 PM

sweet

7/31/2006 2:59:36 PM

Wait....what happened to brees?!?!

7/31/2006 3:01:47 PM

i hope your not serious

you forgot the rest of the article

Quote :

"Rivers already in control Chargers have faith in former N.C. State quarterback SAN DIEGO - By all accounts, the transition from Drew Brees to Philip Rivers has been as seamless as possible. That is, as seamless as it can be when the guy who was pointed out of town was a former Pro Bowl player, and the San Diego Chargers' new starting quarterback has zero NFL starts and a passer rating that isn't nearly as pretty as the star running back's. Rivers was running the show on Saturday when the Chargers held their first full-squad training camp practice, and he said he didn't feel much different than he had in the previous two seasons when he was riding the bench. Rivers has been around long enough that he didn't even feel compelled to speak during the first team meeting a day earlier. Everybody knows who he is, and the time for talk might be closer to the season, not in late July. "You can't deny the fact that you miss Drew," Rivers said after practicing in a drizzle that drove away the recent oppressive heat. "You don't brush that aside, but at the same time, the group of veterans we have, the type of players you have, they knew how to handle it. They knew it's part of it. "At the same time, I was able, in the past few years, to at least lend them enough confidence to where, 'Hey, this guy, we can get done what we want to get done.' " Running back LaDainian Tomlinson said Rivers has been considered a leader even though he wasn't the starter. "If you have a young guy who hasn't been here and is coming in taking over the starting quarterback job, you don't know the guy," Tomlinson said. "You've got to get to know him some, you've got to get to know his personality, the way he is. "Fortunately for us, Philip has been here. We know what he's all about. We've been around him in the locker room. He's done a great job of coming in here early on and not saying much, learning from Drew and just soaking everything in." Rivers might have been the starter back in 2004, when the Chargers got him and a handful of picks for Eli Manning in a draft-day swap with the New York Giants. But a long training camp holdout allowed Brees to keep the starting job. Brees led the Chargers to the 2004 AFC West title, and had a solid season last year even though a December collapse left San Diego 9-7 and third in the AFC West. Brees injured his right shoulder in the meaningless final game, and after having surgery, was deemed by general A.J. Smith to be damaged goods. Brees signed with New Orleans, leaving it on Rivers' shoulders to help get San Diego back to the playoffs for just the second time in 11 seasons. Rivers is trying to keep the same approach as he did the past two years. But he admits he's excited he's getting a chance to play. "Once you get to now, where camp is, it's here," he said. "We're two weeks away from where we're playing a game. The day I've been waiting for and what this team has been building and working toward all year is here, and we've got to approach it that way." After starting an NCAA-record 51 straight games at N.C. State, Rivers always prepared as if he were the starter here, even though he wasn't. "I've set that foundation the past couple of years for the opportunity," he said. Left guard Kris Dielman said nothing changes for the linemen, although the Chargers don't know yet who will start at left tackle, what with Roman Oben coming off two offseason foot surgeries. "You've still got to protect, you've still got to do your thing," Dielman said. "Philip's doing well. It's just a little different with him. We've had all summer to get used to him. I think we're in a good little rhythm with him, so I think we'll be all right. "He hasn't started a game yet, but he's already our leader in the locker room, on the offense," Dielman said. Rivers has completed 30 passes in two seasons, with one touchdown and one interception. By comparison, Tomlinson threw three touchdown passes last year and has four in his career. "We're just eager to get out there on the field because it's a challenge," Tomlinson said. "Everybody is saying, 'Can they win with a new quarterback?' It's always a challenge for us athletes when people start talking about what we're going to do. It's a new challenge for us, and we look forward to proving people wrong.""

[Edited on July 31, 2006 at 3:04 PM. Reason : ]

7/31/2006 3:02:18 PM

went to the Saints

7/31/2006 3:02:27 PM

Philip kicked his ass out.

7/31/2006 3:03:35 PM

Quote :

""You can't deny the fact that you miss Drew," Rivers said after practicing in a drizzle that drove away the recent oppressive heat."

WTF? It hasn't been hot in San Diego.

7/31/2006 3:12:18 PM

Quote :

"Wait....what happened to brees?!?!"

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7/31/2006 3:42:16 PM

Quote :

"although the Chargers don't know yet who will start at left tackle, what with Roman Oben coming off two offseason foot surgeries."

Could be trouble...

7/31/2006 4:28:41 PM

THIS IS THE DUMBEST FUCKING THREAD TODAY

7/31/2006 4:53:21 PM

Quote :

"WTF? It hasn't been hot in San Diego."

it's my understanding that temps have been 100+ w/ blackouts for a good part of july...

it's cool and overcast at the coast today, though

7/31/2006 4:53:21 PM

Quote :

"WTF? It hasn't been hot in San Diego."

Bullshit it hasn't

Mission Valley got up to 106 two saturdays ago

7/31/2006 5:28:02 PM

Quote :

"i hope your not serious"

whose not serious?

7/31/2006 6:09:16 PM

my not serious what?

7/31/2006 7:05:05 PM

[sarcasm]

7/31/2006 7:08:55 PM

lolz

7/31/2006 7:13:21 PM

This is what I was going by

http://www.wunderground.com/US/CA/San_Diego.html

And when I looked last week it gave the same thing.

7/31/2006 7:25:05 PM

well you were wrong

if you drive 10 miles inland from the coast to where the chargers' stadium is in mission valley, the temperature can rise by over 20 degrees

7/31/2006 7:30:07 PM

dp

[Edited on July 31, 2006 at 8:42 PM. Reason : nvm]

7/31/2006 8:42:18 PM

Quote :

"well you were wrong"

I was wrong about where the stadium was located. Fucking give me a break you ass pirate, I'm 3500 miles away and don't give a god damn to

A) Care about where the Chargers training camp is being held
B) Can't expect to know when the press reports it as San Diego
C) Having thought it was San Diego, being thus confused by what a web site was reporting about San Diego

So in conclusion, save your childish belligerent comments for some other thread you sack of shit.

7/31/2006 9:42:41 PM

in any event ... you were wrong, and are now crying about being called out for being wrong. shush

7/31/2006 9:43:36 PM

the stadium, mission valley, and chargers park (where camp is held) are all in san diego -- it's a fairly big city, and the temperature can change drastically moving inland even just a few miles (while still in san diego)

to stay on topic, another article about PR and antonio:

http://www.chargers.com/news/headlines/close-connection.htm

Quote :

"Close connection Monday, Jul 31, 2006 By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com It’s Thursday night, weeks before the start of training camp and several miles from Chargers Park. Philip Rivers is giving Antonio Gates all he can handle, pushing his competitive spirit to the limits. They’ve traded the football field for a table top and the pigskin for a small white plastic ball and the two do battle well into the night. “After a couple of games of ping pong, he’s dripping,” Rivers said of Gates. “He hates to lose, and I’m the same way. He’s as big a competitor as I’ve ever been around, and I think I’m the world’s worst. We have a good time and get to know each other. The more you know about each other and the more you care about each other, it helps your team.” Shortly after Rivers became the Chargers’ starting quarterback, he also became a neighbor of Gates, a man who will most likely play a key role in the first-year starter’s success this season. The two spent the summer taking advantage of every opportunity to get to know each other better. “Philip and I are just really cool with each other,” Gates said. “We have a blast together. The number one thing to having success is having chemistry and having a feel for one another. Any great tandem has great chemistry with each other. Between playing hoops in my backyard to the work we did on the football field, we’ve done a good job of that. Now it’s time to take it to the football field.” Throughout the offseason, Rivers has made a conscience effort to build relationships with all of his teammates. Their close proximity off from the field and their unique roles in the offense have helped Gates and Rivers build what appears to be a special relationship. “At Gates’ position, we need to be on the same page a lot,” Rivers said. “I’ve spent a lot of time with the wide receivers as well, but (Antonio and I have) formed a tight friendship away from the field. He’s involved in hot routes and adjustments a lot. He’s moving around all the time. When you know the guy and you’re around him, you develop that trust and relationship with him. You know on third-and-three that he’s going to do what he’s supposed to.” If Monday morning’s practice is evidence, Rivers and Gates are already on the same page and are continuing to progress. Of the 11 passing plays that Gates was on the field during team drills, six were thrown in his direction. “He’s going to be high in the progression a lot, but we’re going to spread it around,” Rivers said. “The practice stat might be a little skewed because of the things that the defense is working on. One of the strengths of this offense is that we’ve got so many guys who can hurt you. You’ll have some guys with more catches than others, but we’re going to get people involved. Even when the ball isn’t going to Gates, he’s going to create space for the receivers because people are paying so much attention to him. It goes without saying that he’s going to be a huge key to our success.” Entering 2005 training camp, the challenge for Gates was to follow up a Cinderella 2004 season with another impressive campaign. He did just that. Gates led all Chargers pass catchers and all NFL tight ends in receptions (89), receiving yards (1,101) and touchdowns (10) en route to his second-consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. He’ll look to add to his success in 2006. “There is a standard that he has established,” Chargers Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer said. “His goal is to reach or exceed it. He’ll have to find new and different ways to do what he does because people are going to study him and try to find out how they can gain a small edge on him because he’s such a talented young player.” Gates spent the offseason doing just that. In addition to the chemistry he formed with Rivers, his time in the weight room allowed him to add muscle, which he believes will make him a better blocker. As previously reported on Chargers.com, the Detroit native also worked extensively with secondary coach Brian Stewart in hopes of gaining a better understanding of defensive coverages. “I can read a defense a lot better and know where the holes are,” Gates said. “It comes with time. You’ve got to continue to do everything you can. Coaches and players in this league are smart. If you’re not working to get better, they’ll catch up to you.” When asked about personal goals, Gates gave a response similar to the one LaDainian Tomlinson delivered on Saturday. “You set goals individually based on what you do as a ball club,” Gates said. “If we’re winning games and accomplishing our team goals, that’s going to take care of individual goals. The only number I have in mind is 12 or 13 wins. I believe in Philip’s talent and ability to lead this ball club. We’ve put our time in and are just anxious to see how it all plays out.” Super Cooper The highlight of Monday morning’s practice was a pair of interceptions by linebacker Stephen Cooper. On consecutive plays, Cooper displayed impressive hang time as he leaped in the air to snag two A.J. Feeley passes. “We always knew that Coop was athletic,” Schottenheimer said. “One of the University of Maine’s finest.” Cooper credited being in the right place at the right time and a little instinct with helping him make the plays. “I got good depth on my drops and was right where I was supposed to be,” Cooper said. “I was able to read his eyes a little and got just enough on my jump to get up there. It always feels good to make a couple plays like that.” Polk is seen and heard Training camp was much quieter a year ago with Carlos Polk on the sideline nursing an Achilles injury. Polk’s leg is fully healed, and it’s apparent that his mouth is feeling great as well. “He was vaccinated with a phonographic needle,” Schottenheimer said. “Sometimes he engages his brain, other times he doesn’t. He is a terrific guy and one of the most popular guys on our football team.” Polk provides a running commentary throughout practice in hopes of keeping his teammates loose and making the workouts a bit more fun. “Camp can be a grind sometimes, and I just try to lighten it up,” Polk said. “The offense doesn’t like it sometimes when we’re killing them and I’m telling them about it, but it sure is fun for me.” Scary moment Guard Scott Mruczkowski, who is expected to be one of the Chargers’ top reserve offensive linemen this season, got caught in a pile and went down midway through Monday morning’s practice. Mruczkowski had to be taken off the field on a cart, but Schottenheimer is optimistic that the injury is not major. “It does not appear to be serious at this point,” Schottenheimer said. “We’ll examine him and get an accurate indication, but the early prognosis is it’s not too bad.” Safety Bhawoh Jue (shoulder, knee), defensive tackle Jamal Williams (knee), linebacker Donnie Edwards (back), tight end Ryan Krause (hamstring), defensive end Igor Olshansky (back) and wide receiver Rashaun Woods (hamstring) did not work Monday. Schottenheimer remains optimistic that Jue and Williams will be back on the field shortly. The Chargers will be back on the field at 3:20 this afternoon for their second practice of the day. The workout will be open to the public."

7/31/2006 10:34:56 PM

nohomo

7/31/2006 10:44:20 PM

Anyone have ESPN insider? Just lookin to see if they give any other good info on Chargers camp.

http://tinyurl.com/em9r5

This article is ok too: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp06/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2535128


[Edited on July 31, 2006 at 11:11 PM. Reason : URL too long]

7/31/2006 11:08:41 PM

Quote :

"So in conclusion...I was wrong..."

Fixed it for ya

7/31/2006 11:36:07 PM

http://mb4.scout.com/fchargersupdatefrm1.showMessage?topicID=8206.topic

this thread has lots of long descriptions of the camp. Rivers sounds like he is tearing it up. chargers defense sounds like they suck

8/1/2006 1:42:34 AM

from that insider link:

Quote :

"SAN DIEGO -- Here are five observations on the San Diego Chargers, based on camp practices of July 30: 1. For years, head coach Marty Schottenheimer opened training camp with the old Oklahoma drill, a physical eye-opener in which a defender has to beat a blocker and tackle a running back within an area lined off with pads. As the drill processed Sunday, the true competitive nature of the defense emerged. If tapes get back to opposing offenses, they might get a little scared. Linebacker Shawne Merriman blew up a blocker, made a hit and kept getting in the faces of his offensive teammates. Linebacker Carlos Polk implored the offense to run the ball between the pads. The Chargers showed they are an in-your-face defense that defies you to run the ball. The more success they have stopping the run, the more vocal they get. Clearly, the Chargers have one of the most physical defenses in football. They limited teams to 3.5 yards a carry and 84.3 yards a game on the ground last season. Remember how much fun Chargers fans had watching Junior Seau celebrate each time he made a big play? Well, the players on this defense feed off one another and collectively come together after stops. The longer the drill went, the noisier it became. The hits grew louder. The taunting rose in volume. The Chargers' defense doesn't settle for just stopping an offense. The players like to punish in a clean, hard-hitting way. 2. Merriman has established himself as one of the defensive leaders on this team. The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year only looks better this summer. Merriman always has been known as a tireless worker in the weight room. He's dropped his weight from 273 to 266 and doesn't have much body fat. Shawne Merriman Linebacker San Diego Chargers Profile 2005 SEASON STATISTICS Tot Solo Ast Sack FF Int 54 41 13 10 2 0 "I'm really moving," Merriman said. "I just tried to better myself." His leadership started to emerge late last season as he put together a 10-sack season. Schottenheimer talks about the time late in the season that Merriman, still only a rookie, stood up in a meeting and started spouting off what the defense needed to do to be good. His words became deeds. Merriman quickly is becoming one of the game's most dominating defensive players. He's got the strength to blow up blockers and the moves to sack quarterbacks. His closing speed is exceptional. His aggressiveness and intimidating ability is even better. 3. Even though he's widely considered the sport's best running back, LaDainian Tomlinson uses the offseason to improve certain aspects of his game. For a couple years, Tomlinson worked on core training, trying to strengthen his stomach muscles and improve his balance and maneuverability moving at full speed. His latest effort has been in the tape room. "I think I've become a smarter player this offseason," Tomlinson said. "I watched a lot of tape of myself during the offseason. I worked on my pre-snap reads. I always studied what I do well." Tomlinson is an automatic. He's had no fewer than 1,335 yards and as many as 1,883 in the past four years. Tomlinson considers his vision the best part of his game. He thrives on making quick decisions while on the run, eluding tacklers and running to daylight. He's worked a lot this offseason with his coaches on getting an edge in recognition of defenses. 4. The Chargers' secondary has a chance to reach its potential. Cornerback Quentin Jammer is coming off his best season and is playing with confidence. Drayton Florence finally is established as a starter after the Chargers traded former first-rounder Sammy Davis to the 49ers. An interesting addition is Antonio Cromartie, the team's first-round choice. Knee problems limited Cromartie to only 25 games at Florida State. He has no problem running. His ability to stay with receivers on long routes is impressive. He's a little lost on slant rounds and stopping receivers with moves, but that's only natural. He's a rookie learning the techniques. Still, he has a chance to be a good coverage asset of the future. He'll likely win the job as a third cornerback with hopes of challenging for a starting job by mid-season. The defensive back creating the most excitement is safety Marlon McCree. He's played with Carolina, Houston and Jacksonville. The defensive coaches like his smarts and playmaking ability. They've been looking for a McCree-type for the past three offseasons. 5. As it is with most teams, the biggest question mark is the offensive line. With the transition at quarterback to Philip Rivers, the line can't have breakdowns to slow the development of the offense. Left tackle Roman Oben is still hurting from last year and you wonder how much he'll be able to contribute. Leander Jordan is the best athlete along the line and has the starting left tackle job. Third-round choice Marcus McNeill is raw and probably more of a player being developed for the future. Nick Hardwick has come into his own as a solid center, and Kris Dielman did a decent job at guard. Shane Olivea is solid at right tackle. Mike Goff is a force and leader at right guard. It would help if Oben is healthy by September, but there is no guarantee. John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com."

8/1/2006 2:35:18 AM

Quote :

"Rivers back in charge. He sees something in the defense and calls his own number. It’s a sneak and catches the defense napping. Containment was nearly lost but chalk one up for Rivers on the surprise call."

Oh God...

lmao he does it again

Quote :

"Rivers on a quick count sneaks the ball again! There’s no one home and its off to the races for the gimpy quarterback in his red vest, twenty yards downfield Merriman gets a bead and gives chase. Rivers pulls the slow down, then speed up trick to get a step on Merriman. Much to my astonishment Rivers beats Lights Out to the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Incredible play!"

[Edited on August 1, 2006 at 6:13 AM. Reason : ]

8/1/2006 6:11:40 AM

Philip Rivers > Reggie Bush

8/1/2006 9:02:03 AM

Quote :

"“Philip and I are just really cool with each other,” Gates said. “We have a blast together. The number one thing to having success is having chemistry and having a feel for one another. Any great tandem has great chemistry with each other. Between playing hoops in my backyard to the work we did on the football field, we’ve done a good job of that. Now it’s time to take it to the football field.”"

i bet gates destroys philip on the court.

8/1/2006 9:44:17 AM

Doesn't look hot to me

http://www.signonsandiego.com/cgi-bin/weather/hw3.cgi?config=template1&alt=index

8/1/2006 10:25:45 AM

Quote :

"Throughout the offseason, Rivers has made a conscience effort"

lol

8/1/2006 10:34:06 AM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UHYMr40wTlU

8/1/2006 12:00:59 PM

Quote :

"Doesn't look hot to me"

you're looking at current temps in san diego? you do realize that when you posted that it was like 7 AM here.

last weekend it got to like 99 at the airport, which is right on the ocean. it was something like the 3rd hottest day in san diego on record. it was a hot streak and it is over. CASE CLOSED.

Quote :

"a drizzle that drove away the recent oppressive heat."

which means it is no longer as hot.

8/1/2006 12:21:06 PM

^^ Since when does Rivers outrun anybody?!?

8/1/2006 1:20:30 PM

That was a long trot back to the huddle for Merriman. I can only imagine how much PR will be running his mouth about that play.

8/1/2006 2:03:30 PM

they can't tackle him. He wouldn'tve gotten that far under normal conditions.


Did you hear the kid? "Daddy who's number 17?"

8/1/2006 2:09:58 PM

^ Yeah, I was wondering why the secondary didn't just run him down.

8/1/2006 2:24:56 PM

^^yes, non football knowing people should stay the hell away from training camp damn kids

8/1/2006 2:40:27 PM

^^^While I agree he would have been hit, he STILL outran Merriman regardless and Merriman is known for having good speed. Maybe Rivers got a bit faster since his old college days, he definitely looks trimmed down.

[Edited on August 1, 2006 at 2:41 PM. Reason : .]

8/1/2006 2:41:02 PM

he did look a bit quicker

8/1/2006 4:56:39 PM

Quote :

"Rivers pulls the slow down, then speed up trick to get a step on Merriman."

8/1/2006 5:36:54 PM

more about PR:

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=wickersham_seth#20060803

Quote :

"Rivers drawing rave reviews posted: Thursday, August 3, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry filed under: San Diego Chargers, Philip Rivers I was kind of mad at myself as I stood watching practice at dragonfly infested Chargers camp. I was fixed on Philip Rivers. Toward the end of Tuesday's practice, the ball hadn't touched the ground in awhile. This is why I was ticked at myself. I hadn't been keeping track of how many completions he'd hit in a row in either seven-on-seven drills or full 11-on-11 ones. I knew the figure was in double-digits at this point. Rivers was performing surgery on the Chargers' first-stringers. Sure, it's only training camp, and Rivers was wearing his red "Don't hit me" jersey. But he wasn't missing. So I finally started taking notes. Here was Rivers connecting on a short, timing route out pattern to Antonio Gates. Then a screen to Gates. Then another screen. Then a quick slant to LaDainian Tomlinson. Then a slant to Eric Parker. Then a deep hook to Parker. Then Keenan McCardell on a curl. Finally, it ended when he fired a perfect heater to Gates over the middle that cornerback Markus Curry batted down. I was impressed. And I wasn't the only one. "He's been throwing strikes all camp," Tomlinson said to me after practice. "Not only has he been throwing hard but he's been accurate and making perfect reads. He feels defenses very well." "He's very accurate," McCardell said when I moved down a few lockers from LT's to his. "He shocked me with how accurate he is." Rivers is amazingly accurate. During practice, I noticed he threw a slant to Gates a little behind him, and after the throw the two were talking on the sideline. "I just wanted him to know why I threw it behind him on his shoulder rather than [behind him on] his numbers," Rivers said later. That's accurate. Rivers is adjusting well to his new (and old) team. He's determined, but having a good time. Last year, when I watched him at practice he didn't seem as fast and I noticed his awkward delivery more. He's still not fast -- Chargers defenders jokingly holler "Watch out for the QB sneak!" during practice ­- but he moves around in the pocket well. Not Brady-well, but certainly better than any other Chargers QB. Rivers told me he attributes that to better balance during his drop. The difference? He's holding the ball in the middle of his chest -­ between his 1 and 7 jersey number -­ instead of three inches to the right, over the 1. "Amazing what a difference three inches makes," River said. Many forecasters have unfairly pinned the Chargers' hopes solely on Rivers. Offensively, he needs his left-tackle situation settled, and it's not right now with Roman Oben injured and not practicing. But so much will come down to Rivers. I think he'll play well, but it still might end up being a 8-8 or 9-7 season for the Chargers, probably not good enough for the playoffs in the loaded AFC, and probably not enough for Marty Schottenheimer to keep what will almost certainly be the final head coaching gig of his long and proud career. "

8/3/2006 5:29:04 PM

Quote :

""Watch out for the QB sneak!""

Hahah.

Good read.

8/3/2006 6:01:28 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep-dnlgXTMw&search=philip%20rivers

8/3/2006 6:23:11 PM

Quote :

"Amazing what a difference three inches makes"

hahaha I wish I had three more inches

8/3/2006 8:21:37 PM

I'd snap women in half with 3 more inches

8/3/2006 8:23:42 PM

Quote :

"i bet gates destroys philip on the court. "

You may not know this, but Philip is a pretty good basketball player too. I remember watching him in the Intramural championship game. He will light it up from outside if you give him the chance. If I'm not mistaken, their team won the open championship.



...but yeah, Gates probably did beat him!

[Edited on August 4, 2006 at 9:14 AM. Reason : .]

8/4/2006 9:13:45 AM

because he is black!

8/4/2006 9:15:25 AM

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8/4/2006 9:51:19 AM