Tomlinson charged up about extensive preseason work

There's no going back now, so LaDainian Tomlinson won't harp on it. But the Jets' 31-year-old running back does wonder what things might have been like in San Diego had the Chargers taken a different approach with him in the preseason.

Not that Tomlinson is complaining about his run in San Diego. It was brilliant - Hall of Fame brilliant - with 12,490 rushing yards and 138 rushing touchdowns. But could it have been even better?

Could be. After seeing the most extensive work in the preseason in his career, Tomlinson thinks the numbers might have been more prolific had the Chargers approached things differently with him.

"I've always wanted to play, but I've been held back by the [Chargers'] coaches," Tomlinson said of his preseason workload. "I'm not a guy that argues against coaches' authority, but I've always wanted to play. That's just the way it goes."

When I asked Tomlinson to compare his workload this preseason - he leads the Jets with 129 yards on 22 carries - he said you can't compare it at all. "This is the most since 'ever,' " he said. "Even my rookie year, I only played one preseason game. I came into camp when it was pretty much over. It was two days before the third preseason game. I didn't play in that game, and I only played one series in the last preseason game."

The Chargers didn't want to risk injury with Tomlinson in subsequent years, so he remained largely idle in preseason games. In retrospect, he wonders if that hurt not only him but the team, as well.

"In years past, not playing in the preseason got me and the team off to a bit of a slow start," he said.

And now?

"Now, I feel ready to play football once the season starts," said Tomlinson, who will sit out Thursday's preseason finale against the Eagles in advance of the Jets' Sept. 13 Monday night opener against the Ravens. "I'm happy I was able to get a lot of preseason time to knock that rust off and get time to get in sync with the offensive line and with Mark [Sanchez] in the passing game. I'm ready to roll."

It will be very interesting to see whether Tomlinson can use his heavier preseason workload to springboard into the regular season. But by the looks of things, he at least has the spring in his step you want to see at this point. Granted, preseason play should always be judged with a jaundiced eye, because it can't equate to the speed of the regular season. But there are some things you can see in players, and two of them are quickness and burst.

Tomlinson has both.

Will it translate into the kind of regular-season production the Jets envision with Tomlinson? We'll soon find out. But after watching him approach his new task with the enthusiasm of a rookie, the chances look pretty decent that Tomlinson can be a terrific complement to Shonn Greene.

Philip Rivers and the passing game became the show in San Diego, but there is no mistaking the emphasis with Rex Ryan's approach. For all the talk about wanting to be more balanced in the passing game with Sanchez, this offense at its core will remain a run-first - and run-second - attack. The "Ground & Pound," as Ryan likes to call it.

Tomlinson prefers his own nickname.

"It's 'Thunder and Lightning,' " Tomlinson said. "Shonn comes in and runs over people and pounds people, and I come in and slash."

It is a different dynamic than last year, when Thomas Jones was the feature back and eventually gave way to Greene late in the season. There's no mistaking Greene as the workhorse, and Tomlinson can be more of a changeup back than Jones. He's also a more dynamic pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Is it guaranteed to be better than last year? Too early to say. But after the preseason work put in by a very motivated Tomlinson, who wants to prove there is still something left after his banishment from San Diego, it sure looks promising.