Full San Diego Chargers Awards at the Quarter Mark of the 2014 NFL Season
At the quarter mark of the 2014 NFL season, the San Diego Chargers have been through it all.
Collapses, stunning victories, MVP-caliber play, injuries, highlights, feel-good stories, rising rookies and a promising total in the win column are just a few examples.
Now it's time to sift through the Chargers' wild start and hand out awards for the team's MVP, best defensive player, biggest surprise and more through the first four games.
Let's begin with the team MVP, who has a legitimate shot at the league MVP award at his current pace.
All statistics are via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
MVP: Philip Rivers, QB
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No other quarterback in the NFL is playing as well as Philip Rivers is through four games.
Rivers leads all quarterbacks in adjusted net yards per pass attempt, and the Chargers are fifth in passing yards, third in completion percentage and first in quarterback rating by a margin of five points. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grades Rivers as the second-best passer in 2014 with a plus-8.2 pass rating.
Rivers is stuffing the stat sheet and passing the eye test along with it. Sports Illustrated's Peter King has Rivers at the top of the MVP race. ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams says he certainly belongs in the conversation. He is hitting more of his deep shots while remaining hyper-efficient in the intermediate area of the field.
He certainly fits the definition of "valuable" as well—Rivers' excellence is apparent despite the lack of talent around him. The offensive line is getting beaten repeatedly. The running game is nonexistent. There is no Calvin Johnson to lob it up to.
Rivers is elevating his teammates to a higher level. That makes him an easy choice for the Chargers' MVP at the quarter mark.
Best Offensive Player (Non-QB): Antonio Gates, TE
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Gates could have just sat out Weeks 3 and 4 and still won this award after his dismantling of the Seahawks. He caught all seven of his targets for 96 yards and three touchdowns, lifting San Diego to a 30-21 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions.
He’s doing this at 34 years of age.
Gates has 216 receiving yards this season, good for eighth among tight ends. His hands remain absurdly strong and he hasn’t dropped a pass in the last three games. He was used more as a decoy in Weeks 3 and 4 while Keenan Allen and Eddie Royal got the wealth of the targets, but he remains a legitimate threat to roast a defense in the red zone.
King Dunlap and Eddie Royal were also considered for the award. However, Gates' incredible Week 2 prevented the Chargers from starting 0-2, a hole that is difficult to climb out of.
Best Defensive Player: Brandon Flowers, CB
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San Diego's defense is allowing 6.1 net yards per passing attempt, the 11th-best mark in football. It won't be mistaken for the Legion of Boom, but compared to where the Chargers were last season (32nd), it's one of the best turnarounds by a unit this season.
Flowers is the biggest reason for the Chargers' sudden competency in pass defense. After a down year with the Chiefs, he signed a one-year deal with San Diego to rehab his stock and enjoy the California sunshine.
It’s safe to say his stock is on the rise again—he is Pro Football Focus' highest-rated cornerback through four games, leading by a whopping 4.2 points despite sitting out in Week 2. Quarterbacks have a meager 54.3 passer rating when throwing in his coverage.
Dwight Freeney, Eric Weddle and Corey Liuget were also considered for the award, but none have stood out as much as Flowers has. He is playing at an All-Pro level and giving San Diego the No. 1 corner it so desperately needed.
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Most Impressive Comeback: Dwight Freeney, Pass-Rusher
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A torn quadriceps in Week 4 ended a quiet season for Freeney in 2013, his first season with the Chargers. At 34 years old heading into the offseason, it was fair to wonder if Freeney had anything left in the tank.
Now it’s obvious—Freeney is still one of the league's most terrifying pass-rushers.
Freeney leads the NFL with 15 quarterback hurries, according to Pro Football Focus, and he has two sacks to go along with his bevy of pressures. His patented spin move still gives offensive tackles fits—the Cardinals' Jared Veldheer had particular trouble handling it in the Week 1 opener.
Freeney isn't usually a full-time player, but with Melvin Ingram injured, he'll be in on more snaps and scaring more quarterbacks. At this stage of his career, Freeney is exceeding expectations and looking like the Freeney of old. That earns him the Most Impressive Comeback award.
Rising Player: Jason Verrett, CB
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Flowers and Freeney are playing at a high level this season, but Flowers' future is unknown and no one knows how much longer Freeney will play. The future of the Chargers' defense lies with Jason Verrett, San Diego's first-round pick in this year's draft.
And the future is bright.
Despite not playing in Week 4, Verrett played at a high enough level in the first three weeks to ease any concerns about his transition to the big leagues. His acceleration and ability to limit yards after the catch make him a valuable reserve for San Diego. He should push for starts in the coming weeks with Shareece Wright dealing with a knee injury.
Chicago's Kyle Fuller has stood out the most among rookie corners, but Verrett isn't that far behind—he just needs more snaps. On his current path, he will get that in due time.
Biggest Surprise: Topping Seattle on a Short Week
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After a disappointing Week 1 loss to the Cardinals, where San Diego blew a sizeable lead in the fourth quarter, a dismantling at the hands of Seattle would not have been surprising.
The Seahawks were coming off a long break, as they played Green Bay on Thursday in the season opener while the Chargers played Monday.
Seattle had the rest and was the better team on paper—San Diego didn't care.
The Chargers quelled any concerns about an 0-2 start by calmly and efficiently tearing through the Seahawks' feared defense. They scored 17 points in the second quarter, with 12 of those coming from a Rivers-to-Gates connection. The Seahawks were able to make it a one-possession game a couple of times but never reclaimed their early lead.
San Diego converted 10 of its 17 third downs and possessed the ball for 42:15 compared to Seattle’s 17:45. Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch never had a chance to score because, well, they never had a chance.
The win helped the Chargers break even to start the season, and they haven't looked back since. While it was a surprise at the time, San Diego is now looking like a team that can beat anyone.
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