L.T is Diminishing Just like the Others before Him

Try to remember what happened in the NFL four years ago. Now try to remember it five years ago. Try to remember the trend that started back in 2002.

Do you remember Priest Holmes? How about Shaun Alexander? Larry Johnson? Can you even remember Ahman Green back when he was relevant?

These guys set the trend that LaDainian Tomlinson is currently following.

In 2002, Priest Holmes scored 21 rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry while running for his career-high 1,615 yards with the Kansas City Chiefs. The next year, Holmes scored an astonishing 27 rushing touchdowns.

He has only played in 19 games since then.

Ahman Green rushed for even more yards in 2003 with 1,883 while scoring 15 touchdowns with Green Bay. He never played a full season after that.

Larry Johnson and Shaun Alexander took over the spotlight in 2005 and reached the end zone 20 and 27 times, respectively. The Seahawks lost their best guard Steve Hutchinson and Alexander started his decline. Johnson had some issues off of the football field, suffered some injuries and hasn’t really been the same since.

Then L.T emerged and started his reign over opposing defenses. The very next year in 2006, L.T rushed for his career-high 1,815 yards and scored a league record 28 rushing touchdowns. He even recorded 508 receiving yards. It was simply remarkable.

But now L.T is starting to disappear just like the others. It is just taking a little more time than what we are used to seeing.

Since that amazing year of 2006, Tomlinson’s total rushing yards has decreased each year by at least 300. His rushing touchdowns dropped to 15 in 2007 and 11 in 2008. His yards per carry have also significantly decreased. In 2006, L.T averaged 5.2 yards per carry. In 2007, that stat was reduced to 4.7. It was then dropped to 3.8 the next year.

After a season where he rushed for his career-low 1,110 yards, L.T was supposed to break out again this season. He was fully healthy at the end of training camp and he was supposed to be more explosive than ever.

Now, L.T is going to miss his second consecutive game on Sunday when the Chargers face the Dolphins due to a sprained ankle. That means he will have missed three of San Diego’s last four games, dating back to the playoff loss to the Steelers in January.

It looks like his backup Darren Sproles is better for the team. Philip Rivers looks like he is the leader. And it looks like there isn’t going to be any room for L.T whenever he is ready to comes back. This very well could be the end of the road for L.T and it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. It has happened before. So forget about the Madden curse. Start paying attention to the curse of the seemingly unstoppable running back.

But who knows? Maybe Adrian Peterson has what it takes to break this trend. It certainly looks like he does.

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Roto-Rx

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Do you see Pat White getting any significant playing time in any capacity over the course of the year? – Walter, Charleston, WV

Walter: Dr. Roto has big worries about Pat White. I think that he may have been a waste of a 2nd round pick by the Fins. For this year, Dr. Roto sees Ronnie Brown getting most of the Wildcat snaps. Also don't forget Chad Henne there on the sidelines. The Dolphins really like him and he will probably be the starter next year.

Question #2: Do you consider Mario Manningham a front line receiver? – Melissa, Nyack, NY

Melissa: It's way too early to call Manningham a front line WR. What we can call him is a talented young WR with big upside. It would be no surprise to watch him fulfill his vast potential that he showed while at Michigan. If he's still on the waiver wire in your league, grab him ASAP.

Question #3: Who do you think will end up with more all purpose yards, Darren Sproles or Leon Washington? – Mike, Giants Stadium (friend of Fireman Ed)

Mike: You're putting me in a tough spot here Mike, because if I say Sproles, Fireman Ed is going to revoke my New York Jets library card. Ryan has been saying that he wants to get Washington 20 touches a game, but Dr. Roto hasn't seen that yet and doubts that he will. The longer LT is out, the more chance Sproles has of being the better player. Truth is, if Washington is getting too many touches it means the Jets are playing from behind. So far, Mark Sanchez isn't letting that happen!

Question #4: After two weeks, what defense has impressed you the most? – Frank, Baltimore, MD

Frank: This is an easy one. It's the J-E-T-S. They have been swarming and impressive. Darrell Revis is one of the top 3 CB in the NFL. They have stopped Schaub and Brady in the first two weeks...not an easy thing to do. They are getting Calvin Pace back soon, which will make them even more dangerous.

Question #5: Would you start Tony Romo or Jay Cutler this week? - Anthony, Fairfax, VA

Anthony: Dr. Roto is going to say Romo. Don't be surprised to see Matt Forte have a big game in Seattle. The Seahawk run defense is suspect and the Bears really need to get Forte on track. Romo is starting on MNF...it will be a good time for him to show his critics that he really is a top 10 QB.

The Doctor is out…

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If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/  where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball & Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Who is your number one rated fantasy QB? – Barry, San Diego, CA

Barry: It's got to be Drew Brees. He plays in a wide open offense and has tons of weapons at his disposal. Sean Payton is an aggressive play caller and he gets to play half his games in a climate controlled dome (plus some away games in Florida and Georgia). Manning and Brady are close, but Brees is the man right now.

Question #2: Should I activate Darren Sproles and reserve LaDanian Tomlinson this week? – Daniel, Teaneck, NJ

Daniel: Not sure if you saw, but LT has been ruled out for this week. Sproles will get the carries this week against the Ravens. Put him down for a decent day, but it will be tough for him to break a big one against the tough Raven D.

Question #3: Is the Redskins defense a good play against the Rams this weekend? – Don, San Diego, CA

Don: The Skins D is one of Dr. Roto's best plays this week. Hard to imagine St. Louis coming into DC and playing well. The Skins have a chance for 3-4 sacks, 1-2 INT, and 1-2 Fumble Recovery. Start them with confidence.

Question #4: Is Knowshon Moreno worthy of a starting fantasy running back spot? – Jamie, Port Washington, NY

Jamie: Maybe down the road, but right now Dr. Roto is not a Moreno fan. The Broncos got lucky last week in Cincy. If they don't score that miracle TD, people would be talking about a crappy offensive day for Orton and the rest of the Broncos. Your best chance is to hope he has a good week and then trade him to a guy in your league that is a big rookie fanatic.

Question #5: What do you think about Mike Singletary and the job he’s done? Is his defense worthy of activating this week? – Bruce, San Jose, CA

Bruce: Dr. Roto thought that Patrick Willis was the best defensive player he saw in the NFL last week. He looked amazingly fast against the Cards and the 49ers defense held tough against Warner, Hightower, and Fitzgerald. Seattle looked good last week, but don't forget that they were playing the Clams. Go ahead and activate the 49ers this week. They have the potential to surprise.

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