COSTA MESA, Calif. -- The location was different and so were the uniforms and the stakes, but Drew Brees and Philip Rivers were reliving the old days in a way, having a shared competitive experience on the same practice field.
Just like all those years ago, they were pitted against each other, head-to-head, and just like when they both wore San Diego Chargers uniforms, neither wanted to lose.
But so much less was riding on this now that both are established NFL stars. In a little less than a month, both will be lynchpin figures on teams with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.