LaDainian Tomlinson's Career Winds Down in Super Bowl Dreams

New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers

The Chargers have had some excellent teams the past six years, and have won their division five times.

Yet none of the previous teams won a title, and time may be running out on these types of opportunities for a while. Key players appear to be nearing the end of their careers, so it is now or never for the Bolts.

The Jets are as confident of achieving a victory here as they were in last weeks win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

They feature an excellent running game and a trio of cornerbacks who can shut many opposing wide receivers down an entire game. This Jets team has an excellent chance at upsetting the Chargers.



What To Watch From The Jets

Thomas Jones is a running back who leads the charge in the team's offensive game plan. He has carried the team much of the season, since their passing game has mostly been impotent.

The 10-year veteran has averaged a steady 4.2 yards per carry on a career-high 331 attempts. His 1,402 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground are also career high marks.

Rookie Shonn Greene spells Jones, and has been very impressive. He played 14 regular season games, but has been used in just five games with frequency.

He has still piled up 540 yards at a average of five yards per carry. He hasn't been used in the passing game at all, but he helps keep the Jets churning forward.

The Jets rank first in the NFL in rushing first downs, total rushing plays and yardage. This speaks very highly of their offensive line.

The unit is strongest on their left side behind guard Alan Faneca and center Nick Mangold, and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. All are Pro Bowl players.

Darrelle Revis is a shutdown cornerback, and veteran Lito Sheppard bookends the Pro Bowler. Dwight Lowery is one of the top third cornerbacks in the league.

This is the group who will have to carry the team again like they did last week against Cincinnati. They allow Ryan to use the front seven with his blitz schemes.

The Jets have a pair of average safeties, and San Diego should target Pro Bowl Antonio Gates all day. This is a mismatch that could make the difference.

New York prefers to use their outside linebackers as pass rushers, since both starters are converted defensive ends. If Gates is allowed to dominate, his reception total could reach double digits in this game.



What To Watch From The Chargers

The Chargers have one of the better passing games in the NFL. Philip Rivers is the Pro Bowl quarterback who gets the team going by spreading the ball all over the field.

Though Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates is often thrown to, the Chargers also have a duo of tall wide receivers with excellent speed. Vincent Jackson was so spectacular this year, many pundits felt the wide receiver should have made the Pro Bowl as well.

The Jets have excellent cornerbacks, but none are as tall as Jackson or Malcom Floyd. Legedu Naanee is their third receiver. If he can be productive against Lowery, the Chargers chances for victory increase.

All good things must come to an end, and we may be witnessing the last games of running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Though Tomlinson did score 12 times this year, he failed to rush for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his nine-year career. He gained his 730 yards at a career low clip of 3.3 yards per carry.

Nine years is an extraordinarily long career for an NFL running back, especially one that has carried the ball as often as Tomlinson.

San Diego hopes he has something special left in his tank for the post season, which may be his last, but it is a nearly empty tank they are trying to squeeze juice from.

Darren Sproles provides San Diego with a variety of weapons. He backs up Tomlinson, and he was also able to catch 45 passes this year at an impressive 11 yards a reception.

He also is a dangerous return specialist who is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. Expect San Diego to try to get the ball in his hands often, especially since they have not had an effective ground game all season.

The key for San Diego this game will be the play of their defensive line. The Chargers have five Pro Bowl players this year, but none play defense.

Though the secondary has been the best part of the unit, the front seven has been up and down all year. If the defensive line plays another game where they appear invisible, the Jets will just pound Jones and Greene all day and increase their chances of victory.


Quarterback : Definite Edge Chargers

Running Back : Edge Jets

Receivers : Definite Edge Chargers

Offensive Line : Slight Edge Jets

Defensive Line : Even

Linebacker : Even

Secondary : Slight Edge Jets

Special Teams : Slight Edge Chargers

Coaching : Slight Edge Jets

The Jets could come away with a win if they can run the ball all day to control the clock and keep the Chargers offense off of the field.

The amount of third down conversions they accumulate will be critical, as will be the distance to the first down marker. They do not want to put the balance of their season in the hands of the rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez at this juncture.

San Diego should exploit the fact no one can cover Gates on the Jets, and even get some production from their other tight ends.

Some production out of the ground game is also a big need. This game might depend on the amount of time Rivers has to find his plethora of targets.

Chargers 37, Jets 16