Sunday will be the first time Broncos’ quarterback Brock Osweiler faces Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers, but the two know each other well.
Two quarterbacks separated by eight years of age have a striking number of similarities.
For starters, Rivers and Osweiler had the same college offensive coordinator, Noel Mazzone.
Rivers spent his senior season with Mazzone at North Carolina State. Osweiler spent his final two seasons with Mazzone at Arizona State.
When Osweiler was preparing for the draft, he went to UCLA to meet with Mazzone, who is now the Bruins’ offensive coordinator, and Rivers met with the two of them there.
“We kind of formed a great bond and a great relationship over that course of time,” Osweiler said of Rivers. “He’s been nothing but great to me.”
Rivers was going into his ninth season as San Diego’s quarterback, but he still found value in going to Los Angeles in the offseason to work with Mazzone and give a young quarterback from Montana a few tips.
“(We) just spent some time talking football, watching tape, throwing and things like that,” Rivers said. “I thought a lot of him as a college player. Then getting to be around him, he’s a smart guy.”
Rivers said he and Osweiler still exchange texts of “hello or good game” every now and then.” Rivers was particularly impressed with Osweiler’s performance and leadership against the Patriots in the snowstorm Sunday.
Mazzone isn’t the only coach the two quarterbacks have in common. San Diego head coach Mike McCoy spent 2012, Osweiler’s rookie season, in Denver as offensive coordinator.
From Day 1, McCoy was impressed by Osweiler’s competitiveness. Even behind Broncos starter Peyton Manning, Osweiler was eager to work to get better, often seeking out McCoy for extra advice.
“Mike really helped me learn how to prepare on a weekly basis, how to study a game plan and be prepared for the game on Sunday,” Osweiler said.
McCoy mentioned sitting behind Manning as one of the reasons for Osweiler’s growth. Osweiler was able to study the game with Manning and learn by watching.
“He’s really doing what they ask him to do and not trying to do too much,” McCoy said. “As a young player, sometimes you want to bang that post every single time and you want to do certain things a certain way. Well, it’s different here.”
Cameron Wolfe: 303-954-1891, cwolfe@denverpost.com or @CameronWolfe
