Fansided
Fansided

The Greatest Villain In the History of All 32 NFL Teams

By Erik Lambert

of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas
of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas /
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DENVER – SEPTEMBER 14: Quaterback Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers delivers a pass against the Denver Broncos during NFL action at Invesco Field at Mile High on September 14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Chargers 39-38. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER – SEPTEMBER 14: Quaterback Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers delivers a pass against the Denver Broncos during NFL action at Invesco Field at Mile High on September 14, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Chargers 39-38. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Denver Broncos

QB. San Diego Chargers. Philip Rivers . 10. player. 45.

At one point in time Denver Broncos fans were predisposed to hate Philip Rivers. It wasn’t just the fact that he was the quarterback of the arch-rival San Diego Chargers. That was bad enough. It was also the fact that he came across as arrogant and loudmouthed. He often got into shouting matches with other Broncos players and seemed to take extra delight in beating them.

This era reached its rock bottom in 2008. The Broncos had the division title all but locked up with three games to go, but after two-straight losses, they needed to beat the Chargers to secure the crown. Rivers threw two touchdowns without a turnover and helped his team to a 52-21 victory to steal the AFC West. It was an utter humiliation for Denver, one that got head coach Mike Shanahan fired.

Rivers and the Chargers would thus rule over the division for the next three years until the Broncos finally began to rebound in 2011. It was a miserable time that most would prefer to forget. They can only hope that with the Chargers appearing on the upswing themselves that more Rivers headaches aren’t around the corner.

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