Reich on Rivers: There’s no one better

The Chargers ask Philip Rivers to be a puzzle-master at the line of scrimmage.

It’s like trying to solve Rubik’s Cube -- fast -- as thousands of people scream at you while a clock ticks down.

Of the many puzzles Rivers solved in last Saturday’s 38-33 victory, the most impressive may have been the 49ers’ blitz he defused -- by a frog’s whisker -- on fourth-and-5 in the third quarter.

Rivers made it look simple, beating a seven-man rush and hitting Eddie Royal for 20 yards.

But there were wrinkles. After Rivers motioned Donald Brown left as a blind-side protector, he notified Antonio Gates, the team leader in touchdowns, to stay home and block.

Because Gates nudged an extra edge rusher, Rivers was able to throw before he got clobbered.

What looked simple was, to hear Frank Reich four days later, actually quite special.

Here’s what Reich said:

It’s impossible to state the hours of preparation, the years and years of him paying dues on being an expert in protections and understanding them, and then having a God-given ability like few people you’ve ever been around to actually process it all in a split second. And then the physical ability to actually make the throw and do what he has to do.

There’s no one better. He’s as good as they come. That’s what great players do. They make the hard things look easy. And he done that repeatedly throughout his career, and I’ve certainly seen it the last two years.

Reich is a former NFL quarterback who backed up Hall of Famer Jim Kelly during the Bills’ run to four Super Bowls. When Reich was a Colts assistant, Peyton Manning ran the offense.

Saturday, Rivers was making his 143rd consecutive start. That’s a lot of preparation. It wasn’t enough to stave off three interceptions, but Rivers made several do-or-die plays.

Sunday in Kansas City, the puzzle-master will face several more tests.