I had the NFL Sunday ticket fired up in the Man Cave on Sunday when I saw a sad, sad sight.  I was watching the Chargers game and they showed a clip of Ladainian Tomlinson from last week when they were on the goal line and he wasn’t chosen to run the ball in.  I guess in his mind, he was still this guy:

So this week, the Chargers drove it down to the goal line and handed him the ball about 5 times, and instead he was this guy.

They stopped him every way possible.  He got stuffed inside, he got jammed trying to bounce it outside, he dove over the top and got snatched out of the air.  Kansas City even gave up a bad penalty inside of the 2 yard line and gave him an extra 2 chances at it.  It was horrible.  Not to mention the fact that it was Kansas City.  Meanwhile Darren Sproles came in at 5′7″ and was getting completely loose on the KC defense.  It has to be hard to see your backup hit the field and start jacking you for carries.  I feel even worse for the fantasy owners who thought LT was “back” this year.  He hasn’t had a 100 yard game in over a year.  The only thing that is back are the high expectations that he isn’t going to be able to fill anymore.

Worst part?  LT was taken out by Turf Toe.  That is the same injury that is fading T.O. right now.  Like the “high ankle sprain” in college basketball a few years ago.  If a player you like has it, just leave em alone.

Speaking of Kansas City, was Larry Johnson ever actually any good?

I think the guy strung together a four game streak at the end of the season on a bad team and people thought he was the next big thing.  He never, ever delivered on it.  The guy got a big contract and got to holla at the chick from 106 and Park (who looks better than I remember)

Are those real?  Anyway, LJ might as well call it a career.  Sure, he is on an awful team but damn, he should be elevating the game in KC, he just damn near doesn’t exist.

Finally, there is Stephen Jackson.

He might be on the worst squad ever.  Sure, people point at the Detroit Lions and their 0-16 season, but if you string together the 10 losses at the end of last season with the 7 fresh new losses right now and they have a longer losing streak.  And they only won two games last season, and they quietly ended 2007 on a four game losing streak.  That means they won 2 of their last 27 games.  The lions collapsed too, but they were 7-9 in 2007.  Steven Jackson is in purgatory.  This Offensive line really is offensive.  They aren’t stopping a damn thing.  Maybe he should still be holding out from 2007.  Someone pick this kid up and give him one more shot before he ends up disappearing from the league.  Tough.

Pop Quiz, how many good years does Adrain Peterson have on him?  2, maybe 3?  I saw him drop a d back today like he was a punt returner.  He runs hard, but damn, you can’t run like that forever.

So fellas, if you’ve still got it Man Up and make it happen for the rest of the season.  You all might have one more pay day in you.

-Brock