Peyton Manning was the best QB in the NFL and #2 wasn't Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. It was a guy that after last year some people thought wasn't even in the top 10 anymore after spending the better part of the last decade in the top 5 or so.
I have watched a number of Charger games this year and Rivers has been phenomenal. He was over 70% completion percentage for much of the year and he wasn't a dink or dunk kind of guy, he threw tons of mid range passes and his 8.2 yards per comp is .1 behind Peyton Manning and I promise you it wasn't all rac yards and dinking and dunking.
32 TD
11 INT
4478 yards
105.5 QB rating
3rd best QB rating
4th most TD passes
5th most passing yards
Low INT total for a passing QB who threw down field this year.
Rivers is a leader. He went into Denver and won. He went into KC and won. He went into Cincy and won in the playoffs.
He has such leadership and command of the offense. He can call audibles, he can be part of the game planning. He can exploit weaknesses and he throws a good mid range and deep ball. Some of those passes in the Cincinnati, KC and Denver games were so accurate.
It is amazing what an improved O-Line and better coaching did this year with McCoy and Whisenhunt. Rivers had an amazing year and he was the 2nd best QB in the NFL.
I have been highly highly impressed with his play, his leadership and command of the offense this year. He was spectacular.