Key Matchup: Eagles MLB Jeremiah Trotter vs. Chargers FB Lorenzo Neal
The focus of the Eagles defense this week is obvious: LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL’s best player. Tomlinson is simply outstanding, perhaps one of the five most talented running backs in NFL history. However, fullback Lorenzo Neal has played a significant part in San Diego’s success running the football, something that is often overlooked.
USA Today ranks Neal, along with the Chiefs’ Tony Richardson and the Niners’ Fred Beasley, as one of only three “elite” fullback in the NFL, and with good reason. Neal isn’t a top-notch pass catcher and he hardly ever runs the ball, but is one of the best lead blockers in the league. Take a look at the performance of the three running backs Neal has blocked for over the past six years:
Year Team RB Yards TD
1999 Tenn Eddie George 1304 9
2000 Tenn Eddie George 1509 14
2001 Cinn Corey Dillon 1315 10
2002 Cinn Corey Dillon 1311 7
2003 S.D. Tomlinson 1643 13
2004 S.D. Tomlinson 1335 17
That’s an average of 1400 yards and 12 TDs per year, pretty good statistics. Certainly, these are good backs in their own right, but the difference Neal has made is significant. When Neal left the Titans after the 2000 season, for instance, George’s yards per carry dropped from 3.7 to 3.0 and his addition to the Chargers’ roster for the 2003 season boosted Tomlinson’s ypc from an already impressive 4.5 to a stellar 5.3.
At 5’11” 255 lbs, Neal is strong and can take on not only linebackers but defensive linemen as well. What makes him great, however, is the same thing that sets Tomlinson apart from other running backs: vision and awareness. The Chargers will run the ball straight up the gut, but they excel stretching Tomlinson out wide and letting him read his blocks before cutting quickly into the available hole. Neal is superb at reading the blocks of the Chargers’ offensive linemen and quickly identifying and meeting the free linebacker, allowing Tomlinson to spring into the secondary. Often times that key block will be against the opponents’ middle linebacker, sealing him to the inside and giving LT the chance to cut back into the middle of the field.
This brings us to Jeremiah Trotter. With 29 tackles in his last 3 games, he is the Eagle’s most important player against the run. Last week, the Cowboys’ offensive line dominated the Eagles’ defensive line, often allowing a guard or center to get to the second level for the most part unmolested. With the return of Darwin Walker and the prospect of facing a less talented Chargers’ offensive line, Trotter should face less harassment from lineman, leaving him free to run to Tomlinson – if he can get past Neal. His ability to do that could be the difference between victory and defeat for the Birds.
USA Today ranks Neal, along with the Chiefs’ Tony Richardson and the Niners’ Fred Beasley, as one of only three “elite” fullback in the NFL, and with good reason. Neal isn’t a top-notch pass catcher and he hardly ever runs the ball, but is one of the best lead blockers in the league. Take a look at the performance of the three running backs Neal has blocked for over the past six years:
Year Team RB Yards TD
1999 Tenn Eddie George 1304 9
2000 Tenn Eddie George 1509 14
2001 Cinn Corey Dillon 1315 10
2002 Cinn Corey Dillon 1311 7
2003 S.D. Tomlinson 1643 13
2004 S.D. Tomlinson 1335 17
That’s an average of 1400 yards and 12 TDs per year, pretty good statistics. Certainly, these are good backs in their own right, but the difference Neal has made is significant. When Neal left the Titans after the 2000 season, for instance, George’s yards per carry dropped from 3.7 to 3.0 and his addition to the Chargers’ roster for the 2003 season boosted Tomlinson’s ypc from an already impressive 4.5 to a stellar 5.3.
At 5’11” 255 lbs, Neal is strong and can take on not only linebackers but defensive linemen as well. What makes him great, however, is the same thing that sets Tomlinson apart from other running backs: vision and awareness. The Chargers will run the ball straight up the gut, but they excel stretching Tomlinson out wide and letting him read his blocks before cutting quickly into the available hole. Neal is superb at reading the blocks of the Chargers’ offensive linemen and quickly identifying and meeting the free linebacker, allowing Tomlinson to spring into the secondary. Often times that key block will be against the opponents’ middle linebacker, sealing him to the inside and giving LT the chance to cut back into the middle of the field.
This brings us to Jeremiah Trotter. With 29 tackles in his last 3 games, he is the Eagle’s most important player against the run. Last week, the Cowboys’ offensive line dominated the Eagles’ defensive line, often allowing a guard or center to get to the second level for the most part unmolested. With the return of Darwin Walker and the prospect of facing a less talented Chargers’ offensive line, Trotter should face less harassment from lineman, leaving him free to run to Tomlinson – if he can get past Neal. His ability to do that could be the difference between victory and defeat for the Birds.
posted by ahb at 12:17 AM
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