By PFW staff
Jan. 21, 2008

In the days leading up to the AFC championship game, it was widely believed LaDainian Tomlinson was the healthiest of the Chargers’ three offensive stars, including QB Philip Rivers (knees) and TE Antonio Gates (dislocated toe). But despite being omitted from Friday’s injury report, Tomlinson’s hyperextended left knee wouldn’t allow for him to contribute much against the Patriots — two carries and one catch, to be exact — as he wore a parka on the sideline for the last 55 minutes of a 21-12 loss in New England. He played in just four of the team’s 60 offensive plays.

“I just didn't have it,” Tomlinson said after he was removed from the game in what was being labeled a coach’s decision. “It wasn't going to cooperate, and I didn't have (any) burst. ... You're helpless. You can't help your team at all. I'm kind of at a loss for words.”

In his place, Michael Turner and Darren Sproles combined to rush for a solid 99 yards on 20 carries, but the presence of the multitalented Tomlinson, the league’s best scoring threat, surely would have come in handy in the red zone, as the Chargers had to settle for four field goals when drives bogged down deep in New England territory (three after first downs inside the 20-yard line).

The Chargers hadn’t been held without a touchdown in a game since 2002.

“Injuries are injuries,” Tomlinson said. “Sometimes your body tells you it ain't going to happen. You've got to listen to your body sometimes. Obviously, I want to play, but if I did try to play, I would have been hurting the team because I didn't have any explosiveness and I wouldn't have been myself.”

The PFW spin

Although it was described as a hyperextended knee by team officials, Tomlinson told reporters after the game that the injury was originally diagnosed as a sprained medial collateral ligament. Despite feeling good at practice on Thursday and Friday, the tenderness returned as soon as the Patriots hit him on Sunday, and a lack of explosiveness was particularly frustrating for the NFL’s rushing leader.

And while Turner and Sproles are valuable backups, neither is the total package Tomlinson is, capable of the tough yards or breaking a big play, running or catching, as arguably the game’s best player and certainly the NFL’s top overall running back.
Rivers and teammates didn’t want to blame Tomlinson’s absence on why they couldn’t capitalize in the red zone and blamed a lack of execution as the primary downfall.

During the regular season, San Diego scored 29 touchdowns in the red zone, and Tomlinson ran for 11 of them, caught two and threw for one to Gates.

Adding insult to injury, sources say there are some people in San Diego questioning why Tomlinson looked to be moping on the bench behind his shielded face mask for much of the game instead of encouraging his teammates or helping the coaching staff during a close game with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.