Pro Picks: QB Experience to Be a Factor
Thursday, January 11, 2007; 9:10 PM
-- Tom Brady is 11-1 in playoff games as a starting quarterback. Philip Rivers is starting his first.
That makes New England's trip to San Diego on Sunday a mismatch at the game's most important position. It's also a mismatch (at least by postseason record) at coach, where the Patriots' Bill Belichick is 12-2 in the playoffs and the Chargers' Marty Schottenheimer is 5-12.
  San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, right, rolls out with back-up quarterback Billy Volek during football practice Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) (Denis Poroy - AP)   The Indianapolis Colts overcome the rain and a sloppy start to beat the Chicago Bears, 29-17. The Colts' victory ignites a wild celebration among the white-and-blue attired fans in the sea of colorful vinyl rainwear that populated the soggy stands. Peyton Manning fills the final hole in his legend as the greatest quarterback never to win the biggest game. Leonard Shapiro: Tony Dungy and Manning seal their place in history by winning the Super Bowl. Manning adds a Super Bowl MVP award to his long list of achievements. Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes plow forward for the Colts go-ahead touchdown and never look back. There was a collective failure by the Bears' offense, but Rex Grossman provides the most vivid images. Notebook: Two assistant coaches who participated in the Super Bowl likely will interview for Dallas' head coaching job. On Our Site Wilbon and Kornheiser share their thoughts live during Sunday's big game. Photos: Relive all of the action from the NFL playoffs. Audio: Manning on the Win. Audio: Grossman on the Loss. Audio: Dungy Praises Smith. Quarterly Report (PDF) A Slew of Errors (PDF) Graphic: Play of the Game. MARK MASKE'S NFL INSIDER • Vikings' McKinnie Suspended Four Games • Texans Release Colvin |
Beyond that, however, the Chargers have a huge talent advantage, which is one reason they are a five-point favorite in what might be the marquee game in the second round of the playoffs. In fact, start with LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL's MVP, and keep going through Antonio Gates, Shawne Merriman and a bunch of lesser- known but very skilled Chargers.
"It's no one-man band out there," Belichick says of San Diego, whose 14-2 record was the NFL's best in the regular season. "They have a lot of good players."
"Good," doesn't always cut it in the playoffs.
Experience does, especially at quarterback.
So expect Rivers to see things from Belichick's defense that he hasn't witnessed before. Rivers was on the bench last season when Drew Brees quarterbacked San Diego to a 41-17 regular-season win in Foxborough, a game in which Tomlinson ran for 134 yards. Rivers probably won't learn from looking at tape, either, because the Patriots adjust better than anyone to their opponents. What they did against the Jets last week may have no relationship to what they do against the Chargers on Sunday.
Maybe all Rivers has to do is hand the ball to Tomlinson a few times and watch him run. Or throw it to him. Or to Antonio Gates.
Could happen.
The guess is that it won't.
PATRIOTS, 20-19
