LaDainian Tomlinson may well be on his way to becoming the next Dan Fouts of the Chargers.
That is, he’ll have a great career, earn entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame … but never play in the Super Bowl.
(It’s questionable if he could’ve played this year, but at least there was a chance for the Chargers to get there before Sunday’s loss at Pittsburgh.)
Looking back, there are certainly positives for the Chargers’ 2008 season:
No game was bigger than the overtime win vs. Indianapolis in the wild card playoffs.
Coming back from a 4-8 record to make the playoffs was amazing.
The record could have been 12-4 without four losses in the final 24 seconds of the game.
On the other hand:
The Chargers finished just 1-6 against playoff teams.
It took an amazing collapse by Denver for the Chargers’ late-season run to mean anything.
Without two lucky wins vs. Kansas City, the Chargers could have finished 6-10.
The bottom line is that the Chargers were an average team this year, finishing with a 9-9 overall record.
AFC West foes Kansas City, Oakland and Denver have three of the top 12 picks in the coming draft … meaning none of them were among the Top 20 teams in the NFL this year.
Those three teams can only get better, and the Chargers’ window of opportunity for playing in the Super Bowl won’t last forever.
Neither will LT, who may never participate in a Super Bowl for the Chargers.
That is, he’ll have a great career, earn entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame … but never play in the Super Bowl.
(It’s questionable if he could’ve played this year, but at least there was a chance for the Chargers to get there before Sunday’s loss at Pittsburgh.)
Looking back, there are certainly positives for the Chargers’ 2008 season:
No game was bigger than the overtime win vs. Indianapolis in the wild card playoffs.
Coming back from a 4-8 record to make the playoffs was amazing.
The record could have been 12-4 without four losses in the final 24 seconds of the game.
On the other hand:
The Chargers finished just 1-6 against playoff teams.
It took an amazing collapse by Denver for the Chargers’ late-season run to mean anything.
Without two lucky wins vs. Kansas City, the Chargers could have finished 6-10.
The bottom line is that the Chargers were an average team this year, finishing with a 9-9 overall record.
AFC West foes Kansas City, Oakland and Denver have three of the top 12 picks in the coming draft … meaning none of them were among the Top 20 teams in the NFL this year.
Those three teams can only get better, and the Chargers’ window of opportunity for playing in the Super Bowl won’t last forever.
Neither will LT, who may never participate in a Super Bowl for the Chargers.
2 comments:
LT probably won't even be with the Chargers next year. And, I'm not so sure about Sproles. If he stays and LT leaves, Sproles will need to step it up as a runner. He didn't look so good yesterday as a running back.
I have to agree with you; the Chargers were certainly an average team this year as their 9-9 record shows. If they had of been in any other division than the AFC Worst or the NFC Worst they would have never even had a sniff of the playoffs. An 8-8 division winning record is a disgrace but it is the system under which they play and they played by the rules and played just well enough to make the playoffs, which of course is something a bunch of other teams can't say. So for a parting shot on the Charger's wasted season of 9-9 they went further then they deserved but they would not have been there without LT who very well may be done and most certainly things look like he will be like former Chargers great Dan Fouts and never make the Super Bowl. But there are alot of good and even great football players who have that problem.
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