San Diego – The play is known as “50 Power,” and its concept is as straightforward as LaDainian Tomlinson is slippery.
Hand the ball to L.T. and give him an escort of big bodies. Clear out the left side of the line of scrimmage and let him pick a path between his blockers. Give him a glimpse of daylight and try not to get in his way.
“It’s a play,” Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said Sunday, “we can run in our sleep.”
Pro football is a game of repetition, and few men have ever played it with the monotonous efficiency of Tomlinson. The last of his three touchdowns – the 7-yard product of “50 Power” – was his 29th of the season. This was one more than Shaun Alexander’s year-old NFL record, an astonishing feat with three games remaining on the schedule.
What’s more, when Tomlinson’s latest rendezvous with the record book arrived late in a 48-20 thumping of the Broncos, Tomlinson was able to find a sliver of paydirt when everyone at Qualcomm Stadium could have predicted what was coming.
Awaiting the huddle preceding the landmark touchdown, Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal raised and lowered his right arm as if conducting the crowd chanting Tomlinson’s initials. Rivers looked around, sensed that the spectators were all standing, and thought, “You may never be part of something like (this) again.”
Though they were minutes away from celebrating a division title, the Chargers recognized this day would be remembered mainly for one man’s achievement, the dude coach Marty Schottenheimer has designated as “the finest running back ever to wear a uniform.”
Historic stuff. Center Nick Hardwick turned toward guard Mike Goff and reminded him that his upcoming block could be on the highlight films in perpetuity.
“So I was like, ‘OK, Mike, make sure you don’t screw this up. Make sure you get this done,”‘ Goff said. “No pressure or anything.”
Tomlinson told his teammates that if he were able to reach the end zone, he wanted all of them to join him there.
“I could have guessed that was the play we were going to call,” Tomlinson said, “because that’s Marty’s favorite play. … I love the play because it’s obviously been good to me over the years. I’ve gained a lot of yards on that play.”
As diagrammed in the Chargers’ playbook, Tomlinson is supposed to turn the corner and cut inside when the opportunity arises on “50 Power,” but he has earned the latitude to improvise. This time, he chose to chart a wider course, testing cornerback Darrent Williams. The Bronco tried to take Tomlinson down at the ankles, and was trampled.
“I just felt like there was no way that I could let Darrent tackle me when, you know, Darrent is a great corner, but he’s only 160-170 pounds,” Tomlinson said.
For an athlete of his stature, LaDainian Tomlinson is remarkably unassuming, but he is not oblivious to his own talent. He expects to make guys miss, and he chooses his cuts accordingly. He might not win a footrace with the fastest men in football, but he’s the guy you would want in an agility drill or on a balance beam.
After L.T.’s final score, his teammates hoisted him on their shoulders.
“He is a king, and he should be treated like one,” guard Kris Dielman said.
