Philip Rivers ties NFL record for consecutive completions
Philip Rivers has never been to a Super Bowl and doesn’t get his due among the greats of his quarterback generation because of it.
But make no mistake. The six-time Pro Bowler is one of the the best and is likely looking at a Hall of Fame induction for his sustained excellence over several years.
Rivers sets, ties NFL records
He put on a show against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday and now has the record for consecutive completions to start an NFL game after going 25 for 25.
His four-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen in the third quarter was his 25th straight, tying Ryan Tannehill’s NFL record for consecutive completions. Tannehill achieved the feat over two games.
Rivers joins elite company
The pass marked 35 unanswered points for the Chargers as they opened a 35-10 lead early in the second half. It also put him in elite company for another all-time NFL stat.
The touchdown marked his 11th straight game with two scoring passes. The only other quarterbacks to achieve that feat to start a season are Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.
He missed his 26th pass attempt under pressure on a check-down to running back Austin Ekeler to remain tied with Tannehill. But his 25 straight completions came in one game and set a single-game record.
When the Chargers extended their lead to 42-10 in the fourth quarter, head coach Anthony Lynn gave Rivers a break, bringing in Geno Smith to close the game at quarterback.
Rivers finished the day 28 of 29 for 259 yards with three touchdowns. He’d surely like to have that check-down to Ekeler back, but can rest easy with a job well done as the Chargers improved to 8-3 with the 45-10 victory.
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