Last NFL season could fittingly be referred to as “The Year of the Quarterback.” Every single big-name quarterback in the league had one of the best seasons of his career, all in the same 17-week span. 12 starters finished the season with a QB Rating of 90.0 or higher, 10 threw for over 4,000 yards and, honestly, none of them were huge surprises. Did we think Brett Favre would throw 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions at the age of 40? No. But it was always a possibility.

Flash forward to this season and the statistical leader board looks more like a game of Where’s Waldo. No offense to David Garrard, Vince Young or Michael Vick for that matter, but no one could have predicted those three would be playing better football than Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers 10 weeks into the year. That’s not all. Matt Cassel owns a better QB rating than Peyton Manning. Kyle Orton is second in the league in passing yards. Favre has two less TDs and eight more INTs than rookie Sam Bradford.

There is one name, however, that is holding his position near the top of every statistical category and doing it on a team that has gone through more change in the past year than any other in the league; Philip Rivers.

Even after throwing for 8,263 yards, 62 TDs and 20 INTs over the previous two seasons, people were hesitant to lump Rivers into the Brees/Manning/Brady elite quarterback conversation. His play this year has done everything to cement him into that group, and maybe even put him alone at the top.

Rivers is on pace for 5,234 yards this season. Dan Marino holds the single season record of 5,084, meaning Rivers’ average of 327 yards per game could drop by 20 for the remainder of the season and he would still break the record. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns, just eight interceptions and is averaging an amazing 8.95 yards per pass attempt.

While all these stats might seem astonishing on their own, their true value is only recognized when you take into account the players Rivers has had the pleasure of throwing to this season. His supporting cast consists of an all-world tight end, a number two wide receiver and a bevy of lifelong reserves, castoffs and rookies.

14 different Chargers have caught at least one pass this year. The average football fan might have been able to name four of those players before the season started. Among the others are people like journeyman tight end Randy McMichael, rookie wide receiver Richard Goodman and the impossible to pronounce Seyi Ajirotutu, who Rivers was able to hook up with for 111 yards and two scores against the Texans two weeks ago.

The one top-level talent on the team besides Rivers, Antonio Gates, has been hampered with a toe injury and may miss his second straight game this week. That hasn’t prevented Rivers from finding him for nine scores already this year. Vincent Jackson has missed the entire season thus far while dealing with a suspension as well as a contract dispute, but should be back Nov. 28 to play the Colts. The two most skilled receivers on the active roster, Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee, are also dealing with injuries and have missed some time, but Rivers hasn’t wavered a bit.

Play like this would be less surprising in the past when Rivers had one of the greatest running backs of all time at his side. With the departure of LaDainian Tomlinson in the offseason, Rivers lost one of his favorite targets and someone who kept the defense honest and unable to commit to pass coverage. This year the Chargers running attack consists of underachieving rookie Ryan Mathews, converted fullback Mike Tolbert and special teams ace Darren Sproles. Opposing defenses are blessed with the fact that they only have to defend the pass but cursed by the fact that Rivers is the one throwing those passes.

There are two main reasons Rivers is being somewhat overlooked in the MVP race. First, is the utterly ridiculous play of Vick. Fair enough. Vick’s numbers are out of this world, and he’s leading the Eagles to the playoffs, but at least he has real weapons around him (Jackson, McCoy, Maclin). The other reason is the fact that the Chargers currently have a record of 4-5 and are sitting in third place in the AFC West, one of the weakest divisions in the league. That being the case, you would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to bet against them making the playoffs this year. The Chargers are habitually bad starters and always seem to come on toward the end of the year and take the division title. While Oakland is playing very well lately, San Diego is just one game back. They are starting to pick their play up and still have four divisional matchups left, meaning they basically control their own fate.

With Rivers leading them in that march it is safe to say they’ll be there at the end of the year with at least a fighting shot to make the postseason. And if Rivers’ numbers continue anywhere close to the pace they’re at now he will force himself into the serious MVP consideration. If the award is really about value it’s hard to argue against him.