Balancing Act

Sunday’s win was a bit of a renaissance for the Bolts as LaDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego ground game finally got going a little bit and he nearly eclipsed the 100 yard mark for the first time this season. Although his fantasy value has dipped substantially in 2009, Tomlinson is still quite valuable to the Chargers offense as they try to maintain a balanced attack. With the Chargers migration towards a primarily passing offense thus far this season it was refreshing to see the team even the workload against a top notch team in the NFC like Philadelphia. Proving to themselves that they can run the ball against top competition will serve this team well moving forward especially with a huge showdown in Denver on tap for Sunday afternoon.

The equal distribution couldn’t have been much more ideal for the Bolts as they ran 55 total plays on Sunday against the Eagles, 28 of them runs, 27 passes. This was just the third time on the year that the Chargers have run the ball more than they have aired it out and albeit by a slim margin, those occurrences have all come during the current four game winning streak. Head Coach Norv Turner was quite pleased with this balanced approach from his offense saying: “I like the mix. I like getting the explosive plays and I thought we gave LaDainian Tomlinson a chance to get going. I thought Philip did a good job getting us in and out of the best plays. In a game like that when you get 28 rushes and end up with 120 yards, I thought that was good.” In concurrence with this being the third time in four weeks that the Bolts have ran the ball more than throwing it, it was also the highest average yards per rush attempt on the season for the team at 4.3 per carry.

On the offensive line, things have been gelling together lately for the team as Kris Dielman commented on the success of the ground game saying: “We found some plays that worked and we ran with them. We kept calling them and kept gashing them. It was fun.” It was fun. Finally seeing LT have some room to maneuver and not have to make a cut before he even got back to the line of scrimmage was a great sight indeed for Chargers faithful. On his best afternoon of the year thus far, Tomlinson added: “When you talk about a rhythm, this was it. Staying in the run game and allowing the guys to come off and hit them. That was a good defense, so for us to run the ball as effectively as we did shows a lot. It shows that we can run the ball when we need to.” This confidence boost should really carry over as the Chargers make their playoff push over the latter half of November and through the month of December getting into the meat of their schedule.

This is definitely a positive sign for a running back that has been all but buried with only the last shovelful of dirt remaining to throw onto his grave by the majority of the media. His coach Turner went on to add: “LT looked explosive. He hit a crease (on the 20-yard touchdown run). He was patient. He did the things he does. He did have the ankle injury early in the season. He missed two games. I think he’s getting into a good rhythm and we’re getting into a better rhythm blocking for him. I thought we had a good mix and a good rhythm and that’s important.” Everyone is in agreement that the Chargers are at their best when they can maintain a balanced attack and keep the defense honest as tight end Antonio Gates commented: “When he’s playing that way, that’s when we’re at our best. “It’s clear to us, it’s clear to everyone. When we’re able to establish the running game, that’s when we’re at our best.”

Of course, Tomlinson had another reason to be incredibly excited on Sunday as along with his season’s best performance on the field. LT was given a gift prior to kickoff by his wife LaTorsha which when unwrapped Tomlinson found a pregnancy test that read positive. Of the development LT said: “There is a special thing about having a child. I can’t explain it. I’m just so happy.” Tomlinson’s positive energy clearly resonated out on the field as he seemed to have some extra hop in his step all day on Sunday. He later added: “Years ago we lost a child (to miscarriage) so we’ve been trying again. God works in mysterious ways and it’s a blessing that we’re pregnant again.”

As if that were not enough to accompany the Chargers fourth consecutive victory, Tomlinson also moved past the great Marcus Allen on the all-time touchdown list in NFL history for third most in league history behind only Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice. Of this accomplishment he marveled saying: “It’s kind of surreal. I grew up watching these guys and watching touchdown after touchdown. It’s mind boggling to the that now I find myself third all-time with just Emmitt and Jerry in front of me. It’s a weird thing but I’m humbled because of the history of the game and watching these guys for so long.” Head Coach Norv Turner made sure that Tomlinson wasn’t the only one celebrating this milestone as he made mention of LT’s achievements in his post-game speech to the team. Of those remarks Turner said: “He’s going to keep getting those milestones and I’m not going to neglect any of them. I’m going to make sure I make a big deal out of them because it’s a big deal. What all our guys in the locker room should look at is a lot of guys have had a year or two and done something spectacular in games. When you start talking about doing it for a career, doing it for a lot of years and being third in the NFL in touchdowns, that’s a lot. It means a lot to me. I’ve been fortunate to be around guys who have accomplished things like that and I know how hard they work to do it.”

Despite being called over the hill and one foot in the grave by many talking heads around the league, Tomlinson continues to discount the critics and persevere through the adversity. He commented on the much exaggerated reports of his demise saying: “I think I’m still effective and that’s all that counts. I still find a way to help this team win.” LT has been adamant throughout his career that the numbers aren’t everything to him and he has been a model athlete in living up to those words always casting the limelight elsewhere when he has any milestone accomplishments. His team first attitude is always what I’ve admired most about him as a player in this ever growing “me first” outlook across the league, Tomlinson remains loyal to his humble roots and just wants one thing before he ends his career; to win a championship.

Tags: Antonio Gates, Denver Broncos, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Kris Dielman, LaDainian Tomlinson, LaTorsha Tomlinson, Marcus Allen, Norv Turner, Philadelphia Eagles, Philip Rivers