Is Denver Broncos (5-5) quarterback Tim Tebow better than San Diego Chargers (4-6) Philip Rivers? Just over a month ago that would have been a preposterous question. Over the last five games, however, the Broncos have gone 4-1 with Tebow, while the Chargers have lost five in a row. This Sunday, Rivers and Tebow face off in a game Rivers says, the Chargers have to win to keep their dimming playoffs hopes alive.

Passing yards is a leading factor in determining how good a quarterback is. Last season, Rivers led the league in passing with 4,710 yards. An accomplishment Rivers dismisses as meaningless because the Chargers finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs. This year Rivers is currently ranked fifth, having thrown for 2,743 yards and is on pace to finish with a very respectable 4,373 yards this season.

Tebow has only started five games this year and in those games he has thrown for 630 combined yards. Over a full 16 game season he would be on pace to throw for a 2,016 yards, less than half of Rivers.

Touchdown throws is another key factor where Rivers has a lead. Rivers has averaged 1.7 touchdowns per game this season while Tebow has averaged 1.2 over his five starts. Extrapolated over a full season, Rivers would throw 27.2 touchdowns, while Tebow would only throw 19.2.

Passer rating, a confusing mathematical computation that takes into account multiple factors, is another statistic where Rivers leads Tebow, but not by much. Currently Rivers has an 81.0 passer rating while Tebow’s is 78.4. If Rivers finished the season with this rating it would be lowest in his career as a starter. His previous low was in 1997 when he finished with a 82.4 rating. In each of the last three years Rivers finished above 100.0. A perfect rating is 158.3.

Interceptions are the most damaging component in calculating a passer rating. Unfortunately, Rivers leads Tebow and the rest of the league in interceptions (17), already the most of his career. His previous high was 15, also in 1997. Rivers also has four lost fumbles to give him a league leading total of 21 turnovers.

“When you lose in that statistic, typically you are losing games,” Broncos head coach John Fox pointed out when discussing why Denver has won with Tebow as their quarterback. Tebow has only thrown one interception this season.

“They have limited the number of opportunities (Tebow) has to throw interceptions,” coach Norv Turner said. “He hasn’t thrown a lot of passes. He is a very good runner.”

Rivers has never been known for his ability to scramble. He has only averaged 1.7 yards per carry this season, while Tebow has averaged 8.5 yards per carry on 56 attempts for 388 yards. Tebow’s 78.4 yards per game average would be good enough for 12th in the league among all running backs.

“We pretty much don’t think of it as a passing game when it comes to Tebow,” Chargers outside linebacker Antwan Barnes said. “With Tebow it is more the running game. We are going to try to beat him up as much as we can, to try to stop him from making plays with his feet.”

Tebow has had success on the ground because Fox has integrated a college style wishbone offense that includes the option, a designed play where the quarterback can either pass the ball or run.

While Tebow has had initial success with the option, there are many critics who believe it is not sustainable at the NFL level. They believe the shelf life for Tebow having success with the wishbone will be similar to the wildcat offense which was in vogue a few years ago. Like the wildcat, it won’t take long for NFL defenses to figure out the option and then it will quickly fade away.

“(Tebow) is like any young quarterback,” Turner said. “As he continues to play and gains confidence you figure out what he does best. That will expand. But I think what they are doing with him will always be a part of it when he is playing.”

To help the Chargers defense prepare for Tebow, Turner had wide receiver Bryan Walters, play quarterback and run the option in practice this week. “It was fun to get back to my high school days,” said Walters, who ran the wishbone as a prep quarterback. Walters also said the defense did a good job adjusting to the wishbone.

Whether Tebow succeeds through the air or on the ground, it is all the same to Rivers. “He wins,” Rivers emphasized. “He has won at every level he has ever played at. I have always thought that is the first characteristic of a quarterback you want. It doesn’t matter about (passer) rating or anything, so long as you help your team win and he has done that.”

It’s a respect that is mutual. “More than anything, he’s been a winner,” Tebow said of Rivers. “He’s a big-time competitor. I love his toughness. He’s the leader of that team and I respect how he plays.”

Rivers knows ultimately a quarterback is judged by wins and losses and it is time for him to lead the Chargers to a win if San Diego has a chance of recapturing the AFC West this season. “We know what this game on Sunday means,” Rivers said. “We have to win this game. As rough as it has been we are still in it. That may sound crazy at 4-6 on a five game losing streak. That’s the truth and a lot is going to be determined how much we are in it after this Sunday.”