SAN DIEGO (AP) -LaDainian Tomlinson has had it.
It’s bad enough that his San Diego Chargers have started 1-2 and that he’s basically been running in place.
What’s really eating at the reigning league Most Valuable Player is how people keep comparing this year’s team with last year’s group that went an NFL-best 14-2 before flaming out in the playoffs.
After Sunday’s 31-24 loss to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, the Chargers have already lost as many games under Norv Turner as they did under the deposed Marty Schottenheimer in 2006.
top looking backward.”
Tomlinson didn’t appear to be in a better mood Monday than he was on Sunday, when he acknowledged that he’s lost and mystified by the Chargers’ poor start.
When he met the media on Monday, he had a black cap pulled down practically over his eyes.
Tomlinson said he hears people talking all the time about the difference between this season and last, whether it’s fans, the media, people close to the team and even family members.
“If we had won the Super Bowl we would still have the same questions, ‘What’s the difference?’ Well, we didn’t get it done last year,” Tomlinson said. “We’ve got to figure out how to get it done this year, and the only way we’re going to do that is to focus on what’s going on right now.”
After getting embarrassed 38-14 at New England a week earlier, the Chargers let Favre throw for three touchdown passes to tie Dan Marino’s career record of 420. While the defense was porous, the offense still couldn’t launch Tomlinson downfield. After three games, he’s rushed for only 130 yards and one touchdown on 57 carries, an average of just 2.3 yards.
Last year he set NFL records with 31 TDs and 186 points, and won his first rushing title with 1,815 yards.
Asked the importance of running the ball in the Chargers’ offense, Tomlinson said: “We haven’t been able to run the ball in three games and we’re 1-2. So I think that answers your question.”
Tomlinson said the unexpected start should be a wakeup call for the Chargers, “because you don’t want it to continue in a downward spiral from 1-2 and then you find yourself 1-5 and then all of sudden it’s over. We have to definitely find a way to win one game.”
The Chargers host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in the first of three straight games against AFC West foes.
Tomlinson wasn’t the only one bumming.
“It’s a tough, tough day,” general manager A.J. Smith said. “We need to make more big plays in crunch time offensively and defensively.”
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