Over the course of an NFL game, the high of one great play can be erased by a botched snap or missed tackle almost instantly. Every game has its peaks and valleys, and San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers went through the full range of emotions during his team's loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night.
There he was, dashing down the sidelines like a kid getting his first sniff of Christmas morning after Bears quarterback Jay Cutler threw a pick-six. Cutler's mistake gave the Chargers an early 13-0 lead in San Diego, which saw Rivers reach nirvana at about the 10th high-step:
The Bears, however, came back to win the game 22-19, outscoring the Chargers 22-6 after Rivers' ecstatic sideline steps. Once Cutler threw the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, Rivers' Chargers had one more opportunity to head down the field and score a redemption touchdown, but they ended up turning the ball over on downs.
The same sidelines that saw so much joy from Rivers just hours earlier turned into a zone of sinking sadness. You can see that pit in Rivers' stomach rise and rise until he finally exhales. Let it out, Philip:
Game over.
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