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Sections San Diego Chargers Daily LinksSan Diego Chargers NewsSan Diego Chargers OffseasonSan Diego Chargers HistorySan Diego Chargers HumorBFTB EditorialsChargers PlayersChargers fans need to appreciate Philip RiversNew Corey Liuget Color Rush Jersey ,35commentsThe One Constant For The ChargersPSTShareTweetShareShareChargers fans need to appreciate Philip RiversDavid Butler II-USA TODAY SportsSince news recently came out that Tom Telesco will work out a deal to keep Philip Rivers in a Chargers uniform until he retires, it’s time to reflect on and embrace the hero the Chargers never deserved.In 2006, Philip Rivers took over as the Chargers quarterback after the prior starter Drew Brees signed with the New Orleans Saints in the off-season. Many questioned the decision as Drew Brees was and has continued to be an elite NFL QB. In his first season as a starter, Philip led a talented Chargers team to a 14-2 season but ultimately fell short to the New England Patriots in the infamous Marlon Mcree game. Such is the tale of Philip’s impressive career, a player who can’t catch a break but continues to fight past the context-based criticism surrounding him at every corner. Due to the success of his contemporaries, Philip has had to climb an insurmountable hill of expectations. A player who will finish his career with the 5th most passing touchdowns in NFL history happened to take over for a quarterback who will finish 1st in that category. Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning, the two quarterbacks who were taken near him in his draft class, will finish 6th and 8th in passing touchdowns, respectively. All three have led their teams to super bowl wins, and all three will be Hall of Famers when they retire. This is the basis of every argument against Philip River’s career, and one he has no control over.An organization that has experienced head coach and front office turnover, relocation to another city, Mike Mccoy, and a yearly plague of injuries that at times seems never-ending, has had a rock at its core for almost fifteen years. The last 219 games Chargers fans have witnessed have been started by Philip Rivers even through a torn ACL Dan Feeney Color Rush Jersey , damaged vertebrae, and an offensive line starting Johnnie Troutman. The ability to fight through as much adversity as Philip has is Hall of Fame worthy on its own. The Nick Rose/Younghoe Koo/Travis Coons/Nick Novak/Caleb Sturgis kicking experience barely cracks the top ten list of hardest things Philip has had to endure but through all of that he remains the same.With a ring-less career seeming more and more likely, Philip Rivers will undoubtedly be remembered more for what could have been instead of what he was. That aside, it is finally time to embrace who he is, not who he wasn’t. The childhood exuberance, the unique side-arm delivery, and the humble and hard-working disposition on display throughout his life tend to go unappreciated due to the context of what surrounds him. He could never be Eli Manning, the third in a family of quarterbacks groomed for success that refused to play for the Chargers. He isn’t Ben Roethlisberger, thankfully. What he has been, is a consistent and great quarterback for a franchise that has lacked either of those qualities for most of its existence. It is time to appreciate Philip Rivers and everything he has done and give up the belief that anything else could have been better. Play this forever: COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers have already played in most of the toughest road environments in the NFL this season.So a trip to New England for Sunday’s AFC divisional-round game isn’t anything out of the ordinary.Considering how well the Chargers have played away from home, it may end up being an advantage. Los Angeles is 8-1 on the road, but its only loss came in Week 3, when it took the bus to the LA Memorial Coliseum and lost to the Rams.“We’ve found a way. We’ve won in a lot of different ways on the road this year — in some tough environments,” Rivers said. “We’ve won with big defensive stops and a couple of two-minute end-of-game drives. Kind of all different ways.”They join the 1984 and ’89 San Francisco 49ers as the only West squads to win five regular-season and/or postseason games going East or farther.Only 16 times since the merger has a team from the west won four or more games coming East or over the Atlantic. The 2013 49ers were the previous team to do it Kyle Emanuel Color Rush Jersey , going 4-0 which included a game in London.Coach Anthony Lynn credited the team’s road routine, which includes traveling on Friday afternoon for long road trips, and having a young team has helped galvanize them.“I hope that shows we are an extraordinary team,” offensive tackle Russell Okung said. “I think anytime you beat a team on the road it proves a lot about one’s execution. Going in tough, hostile environments only adds to our confidence.”The Chargers’ 23-17 win last week against Baltimore in the AFC wild-card round was their best road game this season as they sacked Lamar Jackson seven times and held him to 26 passing yards in the first three quarters. Rivers threw for 160 yards and completed passes to nine players.The road resume also includes rallying from 16 points down to beat Pittsburgh on Dec. 2, which ended the Steelers’ 175-game unbeaten streak with at least a 16-point lead at home and marked the largest blown lead at home in franchise history.The road success also included a 29-28 victory at Kansas City on Dec. 13 where the Chargers trailed by two touchdowns midway through the fourth quarter and a 25-17 victory over Seattle on Nov. 4 where they needed a pass deflection in the end zone on the final play.“Our guys are hardened to a certain degree about playing in tough spots. Being down, being able to come back and win those games, that can help, I guess, as much as anything to prepare you for it,” offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said.While the Chargers have thrived in hostile environments, Sunday’s game against the Patriots might be their biggest challenge yet.New England has won eight straight playoff home games, which is tied for the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. The Patriots have also won seven straight home games in the divisional round.“We do special things on the road. That’s a fact, not an opinion,” defensive tackle Damion Square said. “Tom (Brady) has been able to do a lot of really good things in his career but history doesn’t win games. Sunday is about proving we have enough. You rely on the guys you have with you and rely on your fundamentals.”Lynn does have experience beating the Patriots in the playoffs. He was the Jets’ running backs coach when they defeated New England 28-21 eight years ago in the divisional round. While many have focused on the Patriots’ mystique Brandon Mebane Color Rush Jersey , Lynn said he is keeping his team concentrating on what they need to do to win.“We definitely can’t make mistakes. That team cannot beat themselves and I respect that about their organization. That’s a skill and an advantage they’ve had for a long time,” he said.Even though the Chargers have had three cold-weather games since Dec. 1, they have lucked out in that it hasn’t been frigid or snowing. Sunday’s forecast does have a chance of snow, which is the one thing they can’t simulate.“In California you can’t prepare for that. You know, 29, 30 (degrees) whatever it’s supposed to be, to me, that’s good football weather. So it might be cold, breezy, but we’ll be fine,” Lynn said.