As Randy Moss, Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, Andre Johnson bask in the limelight of their early success, we are once again reminded of the value of having receivers who can run.
If receivers don't scare down the field, it can make for really tough going for an offense.
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| If Arnaz Battle were faster, he and his 49ers teammates might make more big plays. (US Presswire) |
A year ago, the Chargers scored 31 points per game. LaDainian Tomlinson led the league in rushing, Philip Rivers went to the Pro Bowl for his passing and the Chargers finished 14-2.
Now with offensive wizard Norv Turner in as head coach, the offense can't do a thing. In two games, albeit against two very good defenses, the Chargers scored 14 points per game, 24th in the league.
Their passing game is 27th. Rivers has completed nine passes to receivers in two games, the longest of those being a 21-yard completion to Vincent Jackson, who leads San Diego wideouts with seven receptions.
"Until their receivers prove they can win, they will see a lot of loaded-up fronts," one AFC defensive coordinator said.
Now we know why Tomlinson is struggling. In two games, he's gaining 1.9 per carry. His two-game total of 68 yards is the worst two-game stretch of his career.
So what's wrong with L.T.? And other than a new offensive scheme, what's different from last year?
The Chargers didn't have a true deep-threat receiver last year either, and they faced a lot of 8-man fronts. The difference, and the reason Tomlinson had his success, is that he was able to pop long runs against those fronts, especially against lesser defenses. It's tough to rip off those runs against good defenses like Chicago and New England when they stack the line.
The Chargers have also played the first two games without Eric Parker (toe injury), who averaged 13.7 per catch last season on his 48 catches.
San Diego is not alone. Look around the NFL. There are many teams that don't have receivers who threaten down the field. What that does is make defending those offenses a lot easier.
"You don't have to worry about guys running by you, so you can play eight-man fronts and not be forced to double the outside receivers," an NFC defensive coordinator said. "It makes it easier to play teams without the good receivers. When you play a guy like Moss or Chad Johnson, you can't be as willing to commit just one guy to them. That makes it tougher to defend the run."
