SAN DIEGO (AP) -LaDainian Tomlinson is worried, which is never a good sign for the San Diego Chargers.
A day after the Chargers barely held off the last-place Kansas City Chiefs, the star running back expressed concern about the team’s inconsistent season and the lack of a productive running game, hinting there are issues the team is attempting to work through.
Tomlinson was held to 78 yards on 22 carries in San Diego’s 20-19 win over the Chiefs and failed to score a rushing touchdown for the fifth straight game.
Although he was slowed for much of the season’s first half by a sore big toe, Tomlinson went into the KC game saying he was the healthiest he’s been all season. For the fifth straight game, he failed to score a rushing touchdown.
Tomlinson, the two-time defending NFL rushing champion who’s also the most brutally honest member of the Chargers’ organization, clearly is dissatisfied with the running game.
h to handle. I honestly believe certain things, when you start to discuss things like this, stay in house, that we discuss them among each other. There’s reasons, but I’m not willing to talk about it to the media. That’s something that has to be dealt with internally within the organization; players, coaches, you know, that has to be dealt with between us.”
Tomlinson averaged 3.5 yards per carry against the Chiefs, who not only missing several starters but were allowing 5.4 yards per carry coming in.
While San Diego’s passing game is flourishing behind Philip Rivers, its running game is ranked 25th in the NFL with only 96.1 yards per game. The Chargers are 22nd with a per-carry average of 3.9 yards. Up next is Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh, which has the NFL’s stingiest defense overall – allowing only 240.3 yards per game, including just 69.2 rushing yards.
Tomlinson downplayed the loss to free agency of his backup, Michael Turner, and fullback Lorenzo Neal. Turner is Atlanta’s featured back and is third in the NFL with 890 yards.
and sometimes, I don’t know, things don’t get done in that fashion just because of the way the game may play out or it has played out most parts of the season.”
Tomlinson is two years removed from his NFL MVP season, during which he set league records with 31 total touchdowns, 28 rushing TDs and won his first rushing title with 1,815 yards.
“I guess I’m really concerned about it because football to me is simple,” he said. “I think in order to really be successful and to do what you want to do you have to be able to run the football. That’s the way it’s always been. Football is a running game. Not to say that you can’t pass the ball but you have to be successful in running the football. I’m always concerned with that. Of course I’m a little biased, because being a running back and loving to run the football, you know, but, I mean, the proof is in the pudding, is the old saying.”
Said coach Norv Turner: “I think we all want to run the ball better.”
The line doesn’t seem to be the dominant force it once was.
“We’re trying to give them every opportunity to be that physical force. Teams are doing everything they can to keep us from being able to do that. That’s why you’re getting the extra guys up in there. People have made a concerted effort in saying, ‘We’re not going to let L.T., we’re not going to let this offensive line control the game,”’ Turner said.
ning the ball better,” left tackle Marcus McNeill said. “We definitely want to run the ball better.”
The Chargers (4-5) remain a game behind the Denver Broncos in the anemic AFC West.
“We’ve been so up and down this season, obviously that can drain you mentally,” Tomlinson said. “We’re just trying to find ways to continue to get better at this time of the year with this now starting to come down to the wire. We need wins.”
The Chargers were booed often in falling behind 13-6 at halftime. They didn’t clinch the win until strong safety Clinton Hart jumped to bat down Tyler Thigpen’s 2-point conversion pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez with 23 seconds left.
“I think what happened, the first half guys were a little mellow, there was a little chill around the locker room and when we went back in we realized that hey, ‘Look, we can actually lose this game if we don’t get it together,”’ Hart said.
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