SAN DIEGO -If it were not for Brandon Carr, Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers might have had a perfect game on Saturday night against the Cowboys.
Rivers was 13-for-15 passing in the Chargers second preseason game. Unfortunately for him, his two mistakes were both interceptions by Carr. On a night when many eyes were on rookie cornerback Morris Claiborne's NFL debut, Carr proved to be the player of the game for the Cowboys with two picks.
Carr's skills as a defensive player have not been lost on Rivers, who has faced him for the past four years when the cornerback was playing for the Chargers' division rivals, the Kanas City Chiefs.
"He's a solid corner," Rivers said. "We know him well from Kansas City."
While Carr's interceptions grabbed everyone's attention, Rivers explains that Carr's true talents lie in his ability to make it hard for receivers to get off of the line of scrimmage.
"He's good both in off-coverage and in press, but he's great when he walks up and presses you," Rivers said. "He has a great knack for getting his hands on you. He's a solid corner."
Rivers elaborated on Carr's first interception in the second quarter when Rivers was targeting Robert Meachem for a long pass down the middle of the field. While Carr reacted quickly to the play and made an athletic move to get the ball, Rivers focused more on his own mistakes on the play.
"That one ball I want back," Rivers said. "I just underthrew him. My footwork is what got me in trouble. I got to throw it up sooner.
Carr has recorded eight interceptions in his four-year career.
