By Dean Michaels

Chargers QB Philip Rivers has been playing some of his best football at quarterback in recent weeks.

But it hasn't been enough to salvage the season for the San Diego Chargers.

In a 38-10 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, Rivers was 28-of-53 for 299 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

"They beat us," Rivers said, noting that in recent losses, there have been opportunities for his team to pull it out. "We didn't get beat like this. This is the one of very few in a long time that we've been beat like this and you know, we've got to them credit."

There were some dropped passes, coach Norv Turner admitted.

"I think as the game went on, we had some drops," he said. "That's not like us and again, each one of them is different, so I can't characterize them as a group."

Last week, Rivers completed 17 of 23 passes for 270 yards and the Chargers dominated the visiting Ravens on Sunday, 34-14.

"It's a week-to-week deal," he said. "This obviously was playing for a chance for the playoffs as were we, and we knew they were going to get their best and we were prepared to give them our best, and they were just better today."

Rivers insisted his team was motivated to play.

"We get to play in an NFL football game," he said. "We moved it. It wasn't like we were going out and hitting three and out. We were getting some first downs, we just couldn't...we touched it three times in the first half, not counting the last one with 0:30 left and you know, we were 0-3 even though we did get a first downs and they were 4-4, I guess.

"When you look up and it's 24-0 (Detroit's early lead). We didn't answer when they score and when you keep going against a good offense like that that's clicking, we got to be able to answer. At least when it was 24-10, you're keeping it in striking distance. We did that, made a little spurt there in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough."

The Chargers are now 7-8 and are out of the AFC playoff race. There's speculation coach Norv Turner is on his way out.

"I don't know," Rivers said of his coach's chances of staying around. "I said coming in to this game that whatever happens, I don't think it should affect him whatsoever. We've won a lot of football games around here. We went through a rough stretch this year. I know it will be two years without making the postseason, but we went through a rough stretch. We'll keep battling, man."

In a recent poll of NFL performers, Rivers ranked as the league's 26th best player. He played in the 2010 Pro Bowl.

The eighth-year player out of North Carolina State had arguably his best season in 2010.

Rivers' 2010 numbers were impressive with an NFL-leading 4,710 yards, 10th-most for a single season in NFL history and third-highest in franchise history. He came into 2011 off of three straight 4,000-plus passing-yard seasons.

When Rivers last season threw for 2,649 yards after eight games, it was a new NFL record for the midway point of the season.

With Rivers, the Chargers have won four AFC West titles. He's 58-29 (.667) as a starter (including playoffs).

After leading San Diego to a 4-1 start, River saw the squad lose six in a row before winning the next three games prior to the battle at Ford Field.

"Every loss is disappointing, but knowing you are not going to the playoffs is even more disappointing," said Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips.

"It's hard when you lose six in a row," Rivers said. "We did, gave ourselves ... we got back in and had a chance for postseason, but you lose six in a row in this league you're probably not going to the post season. But we fought our way back in. Just like last year, when we started 2-5, we kept crawling and it's just, when you're hanging your hat on running the table and going to beat playoff teams on the road, it's tough.

"We believed we could, we just didn't get it done."

NFL 2011 - Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers Not Happy Team will Miss NFL Playoffs Again - Week 16