A season to forget - The Fans Speak Out

Football Digest, March, 2002 by Eric Blaine

What happened to Eddie George this season? Last season he was one of the best running backs in football, but in 2001 he looked like he had aged about 10 years. I know running backs get beaten up and don't always last that long in the NFL, but I've never seen a decline as swift as George's.

Eric Blaine
Via e-mail

Don't count out George quite yet. It is true that he had by far the worst season of his six-ear career, but he still may have some football left in him. There were some reasons for his decline in 2001. First, he had injury problems. Second, his offensive line on the Tennessee Titans didn't perform at anywhere near the level it had in the past. And third, losing fullback Lorenzo Neal in the offseason robbed him of a lead blocker. The departure of Neal didn't receive much publicity at the time, but in retrospect it was one of the most pivotal moves of 2001. Look for the Titans to fix some of their problems in 2002, and look for George to come back strong.