Chargers QB Philip Rivers was a New York Giant for about a minute during the early moments of the 2004 NFL draft.  After the Giants selected him fourth overall, he was traded to San Diego along with a booty of draft picks in return for top pick Eli Manning.

These players will always be connected through that trade, and with Miami of Ohio’s Ben Roethlisberger, who was passed over in favor of them and picked eleventh by the Steelers.

Rivers has not worn a football jersey in New York since that day.  He has yet to face a New York audience as a player.  None of this is his doing.  The schedule has kept him out of Giants Stadium until now.

He is a big time player playing in a laid-back setting. Rivers was made for New York.  He’s a brash, tough, combative leader, that – get this, now- can throw the football verrry well. (Yes, I know…let’s see him do it consistently in the Northeast…)

It is true that Roethlisberger has gone on to win two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh and Manning led the Giants’ improbable championship run in 2007, culminating in the shocking victory over the unbeaten Patriots.

But over time it could be Rivers who develops into the best down-in and down-out quarterback.  This is not news to anyone who is following the careers of these three men. He is considered by many to be one of the the league’s elite QBs along with Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.  Eli and Ben are considered “second tier” players (don’t ask…).

Early in Rivers’ career. his job was to hand the ball to LaDanian Tomlinson and not turn it over.  It is of no fault of his that his team has not made it to the Super Bowl.  He lost twice to New England and once to Pittsburgh which is nothing to be ashamed of.

Now that Tomlinson’s production had dwindled, the Chargers have given Rivers the keys to the kingdom.  He has responded with great numbers and has become an excellent field general.

Rivers began his career behind Brees, so he has only started 48 games in his career as opposed to the other two, who have started 71 games each……

As you can see, all three have been successful in their short careers.  Eli and Rivers are only 28 years old. Roethlisberger is still 27.

Somehow, with the Giants struggling and in need of a leader these days, one has to think how the Giants may have fared had they simply just kept Rivers, or chose Ben instead.

Would they have won the Super Bowl without Eli?  Or, would they be a dynasty with one of the others?  You can clearly see that Manning’s QB rating pales in comparison.

Either way, what’s done is done. Rivers comes here Sunday.  We’ll see what he’s made of…..or…..what we’re made of…….

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the Steelers are close to a extension with Ben Roethlisberger worth $36 million in guaranteed money.

The deal is a six-year extension of the two years remaining on Roethlisberger’s rookie deal. He is now under contract through 2015.

Roethlisberger threw a team-record 32 touchdown passes this season and led the Steelers to an AFC North division title and a third trip to the postseason in his fourth season as quarterback.

Recently I had the chance to interview Ralph Vacchiano, Giants beat writer since 2001 for the Daily News.

Ralph maintains the Giants blog, ‘The Blue Screen.’

Jared Blank, giantsfootballblog.com: One word to describe the journey of the 2007 Giants?
Ralph Vacchiano: Unbelievable.

JB: How would you rate the city’s/tri-state’s reaction to the Giants compared with ‘86 and ‘90?
RV: I’m not really the best judge of that. I was 16 in ‘86 and I don’t recall the reaction. In ‘90 I was up in Syracuse at school, so I wasn’t around for it. I find it hard to believe the reaction to either of those two were bigger or better. The ‘86 championship was sort of expected. Even the ‘90 one wasn’t completely out of nowhere. This was. No one in their right mind thought in November that this was a Super Bowl team. Very few thought they’d ever beat the Patriots. The reaction was the rare mix of shock and euphoria that you get during those once-in-a-lifetime miracle runs or moments. And while I was in Phoenix for a few days afterwards, I’ve heard the stories of Giants fans pouring out into Times Square, of people honking their horns everywhere or just opening their windows and screaming. It must have been wild back here. Add in the ticker tape parade (which neither the ‘86 nor the ‘90 team got) and the 20,000 or so who then showed up at the stadium for that celebration … well, I find it hard to believe the reaction was anywhere near this during the Giants’ first two championship celebrations.

Read the rest of the interview after the jump.

Read more…

Eli Manning has made large strides since his entry into the NFL in 2004. Once outshined by other alumni from the 2004 draft such as Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers, he has come into his own, and now finds himself leading the Giants to their first Super Bowl in eight years.

In an article in the Toledo Times, Dave Hackenberg looks at Manning and the 2004 draft class, and what they’ve accomplished since entering the league. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune focuses on Eli and how he’s stepped out of the shadow of his older brother.