Did Philip Rivers Ever Win A Playoff Game?

Philip Rivers is a retired NFL quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State University.

Rivers was a Pro Bowl selection in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. He was also named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2008. He led the league in passing yards in 2010 and 2016.

Rivers retired after the 2020 season with 45,833 career passing yards, which ranks seventh all time. He also ranks seventh all time in touchdown passes with 328.

Rivers never won a Super Bowl, but he did win a playoff game in 2008 against the Tennessee Titans.

The Philip Rivers playoff record

Since the San Diego Chargers selected Philip Rivers in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in football. In 14 seasons with the Chargers, Rivers racked up 59,271 passing yards and 397 touchdown passes. He’s a eight-time Pro Bowler, and he’s thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season 10 times.

But despite all of his individual success, Rivers has never won a playoff game as a starter. In seven trips to the playoffs, Rivers and the Chargers have only won one game — a wild card round matchup against the Bengals in 2013.

Rivers’ playoff struggles

Since becoming the Chargers’ starting quarterback in 2006, Philip Rivers has led his team to the playoffs seven times. But in those seven appearances, Rivers has only won one playoff game – a narrow victory over the Bengals in a wild card game in 2013.

Rivers’ playoff struggles have been well documented, and they came to a head again last season when the Chargers blew a 16-point lead in the second half of a divisional round loss to the Patriots.

So, what is it about Rivers that has prevented him from winning more playoff games? Some say it’s his lack of clutch gene, while others point to his poor decision making under pressure. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Rivers has not been able to get it done in the playoffs throughout his career.

Why Philip Rivers has never won a playoff game

Since being drafted by the New York Giants in 2004, Philip Rivers has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But despite his regular season success, he’s never won a playoff game. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the reasons why.

Rivers has played in nine playoff games in his career, all of them with the Chargers. In those nine games, he’s thrown for 2,576 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s also been sacked 19 times and has a fumble.

Those numbers are good, but they’re not great. And when you compare them to his regular season numbers, it’s easy to see why he’s never won a playoff game. In his 16 seasons in the NFL, Rivers has thrown for 59,271 yards and 398 touchdowns. He’s also been intercepted 193 times and sacked 427 times.

So why haven’t those numbers translated to success in the playoffs? There are a few reasons.

For one thing, Rivers has never had a great supporting cast in the playoffs. His best receiver has always been Keenan Allen, who is good but not great. And while he’s had some good running backs over the years (Ryan Mathews, Melvin Gordon), he’s never had that one superstar back who can carry the offense on his own.

Another reason is that Rivers has always been asked to do too much in the playoffs. Because his supporting cast hasn’t been great, he’s often had to try to win games by himself. And when you’re trying to do too much, it’s easy to make mistakes.

Finally, Rivers has always been unlucky in the playoffs. In 2008, he threw for 3 touchdowns and no interceptions against the Steelers… but lost because his defense gave up 27 points. In 2013, he threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns against the Broncos… but lost because his team missed two field goals and had two turnovers.

So while Philip Rivers is a great quarterback, he just hasn’t been able to get over the hump in the playoffs.

The Chargers’ playoff woes

The Chargers have not won a playoff game since the 2013 season, when they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 27-10 in the Wild Card round. They have not won a divisional playoff game since the 2007 season, when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 28-24. Rivers has only won one playoff game in his career, and that was against the Bengals in 2013.

Rivers’ playoff heartbreak

In his 16 seasons as an NFL starter, Philip Rivers has led his team to the playoffs nine times. But despite his regular season success, the longtime San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers quarterback has never won a playoff game.

In fact, Rivers has lost each of his last seven playoff starts dating back to the 2008 season. That includes three one-and-done appearances in the past four years, and five straight losses dating back to 2013.

So what’s the reason for Rivers’ playoff struggles? There are a few theories…

The Chargers’ playoff disappointments

Since taking over as the San Diego Chargers’ starting quarterback in 2006, Philip Rivers has led his team to the playoffs seven times.

However, despite Rivers’ strong play – he’s thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season six times and been named to the Pro Bowl eight times – the Chargers have only advanced past the divisional round once, in 2007. They’ve lost in the divisional round five times, and in the wild card round twice.

Rivers has played well in many of these playoff games, but he’s also made some costly mistakes. In the 2014 divisional round against the Denver Broncos, for example, he threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

The Chargers have had a lot of talent on their rosters during Rivers’ tenure, but they’ve also been plagued by injuries and bad luck at times. Whatever the reason, they haven’t been able to get over the hump and win a Super Bowl with Rivers as their quarterback.

Why the Chargers have never won a playoff game with Philip Rivers

The Los Angeles Chargers have never won a playoff game with Philip Rivers as their quarterback. In fact, they’ve only made the playoffs four times with Rivers at the helm – in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2013 – and they’ve lost each time. In those four losses, Rivers has thrown a total of six interceptions and no touchdowns.

Some fans and analysts have pointed to Phillip Rivers’ playoff record as evidence that he’s not a “clutch” quarterback – meaning, he doesn’t perform as well in big games as other quarterbacks do. Others have argued that the Chargers’ lack of success in the playoffs is more a reflection of the team’s overall talent (or lack thereof) than it is of Rivers’ individual abilities.

Whatever the reason for the Chargers’ Playoff woes, one thing is certain: Philip Rivers has never won a playoff game.

The team’s playoff struggles

The Chargers have not been to a Super Bowl since winning their sole appearance in 1994, and have only won one playoff game since then. That lone victory came in the 2008 season, when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Wild Card round. Since then, the team has gone 0-5 in the playoffs.

Philip Rivers’ playoff record

No, Philip Rivers has never won a playoff game.

Did Philip Rivers Ever Win A Playoff Game?