–As has been the case in the past, there may not be another quarterback in football that head coach Pete Carroll fears playing against more than Philip Rivers, who continues to play at an elite level at 36 years young. Already with 17 touchdowns and only three interceptions through seven games, he’s kept the Chargers in the hunt in the AFC West and Carroll expects nothing less than his best shot on Sunday.
“You can’t say enough about how good this guy is,” Carroll said. “He’s having a great year, he’s completing almost 70 percent of his passes. He’s just so smart. You can’t fool the guy.”
Rivers has had Seattle’s number during the two regular-season matchups since Carroll arrived in 2010, throwing for over 440 yards in a losing effort back in 2010 and tossing three touchdowns when the teams last met four years ago. He’s as cerebral a quarterback as you’ll find in today’s NFL and with the Chargers running the same defense as the Seahawks under Gus Bradley, he’ll be well-prepared to face Carroll’s team.
“He throws the ball in all kinds of situations, whether he’s in trouble or not,” Carroll added. “He’s not a guy who’s gonna run around a lot, but he moves deftly in the pocket and then he finds ways to make great throws. It’s as hard as it gets.”
–Carroll holds the utmost respect for Rivers, but the Seahawks will also have to focus on stopping a Chargers team that can also run the ball effectively. Despite missing their last game, Melvin Gordon has 466 rushing yards and has averaged over five yards per carry, while Austin Ekeler has given Los Angeles a nice change-of-pace back while rushing for 305 yards and nearly six yards per carry this season.
“The running backs are averaging over five yards a carry and it just makes it really hard,” Carroll stated. “It’s very similar to what we saw last week with a really experienced quarterback and a good running game- these guys are on it.”
–Carroll also commented on the challenges his defense will face against a big, talented receiving corps that thrives generating explosive plays downfield. After playing against several mediocre offenses early in the season, this will certainly be the toughest test for a young Seahawks secondary to this point.
“Probably the biggest extended issue is that they’ve got a really good receiving group, too,” Carroll said. “They’re big and they can make the plays and they’ve got great averages … there’s nowhere to turn. We’ve just got to play great to win.”
Rivers had several great receivers to throw to, including veteran Keenan Allen, who leads the team with 501 receiving yards this season. Along with Allen, second-year receiver Mike Williams has come into his own after battling a back injury as a rookie and caught a 55-yard touchdown in the Chargers’ last game against the Titans, while Tyrell Williams has 428 yards and a team-best four receiving touchdowns.
BY THE NUMBERS: 34.1 – Percentage of third-and-long conversions QB Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have converted this season, the fourth-highest mark in the NFL.
