Are you taking Philip Rivers' comeback season seriously yet? You should be.
The San Diego Chargers quarterback was brilliant again Sunday, setting a career high in completions and throwing for 401 yards with three touchdowns and only one interception in a 30-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Rivers finished 35 of 42 with an 83-percent completion percentage that set a single-game record for a QB throwing for at least 400 yards.
The Chargers are 2-2, and Rivers' revitalization makes them a major player in the AFC playoff race. San Diego's not going to challenge the mighty Denver Broncos in the AFC West, but a wild-card run is wholly possible with Rivers playing at an MVP level.
Here's what else we learned:
- Shame on the Cowboys, who had a chance to establish themselves as a legit NFC contender and let another game slip away instead. Dallas had a 21-10 lead in the second quarter but surrendered the game's final 20 points. You won't read any Monte Kiffin fluff pieces this week.
On NFL Network
NFL Replay
will re-air the San Diego Chargers' 30-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys from Week 4 on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. ET.
» * NFL Network schedule*
- Antonio Gates is alive and well. The veteran Chargers tight end was a beast, finishing with 10 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. Rivers' resurgence has done wonders for Gates, who looks healthy and is producing like his mid-2000s heyday.
- Dwight Freeney left with a quad injury and didn't return. An injury to watch, as Freeney is the only player who has consistently managed to get near the quarterback for the Chargers.
- It was a rough game for Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne, who routinely was picked on by Rivers. Claiborne doesn't look like a confident player right now.
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