The Los Angeles Chargers have to feel a lot better after Week two. They got a win over the Buffalo Bills, 31-20, and it wasn’t even as close as the score might suggest. And although the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier still stings, it now looks like it reflects more on the new-look offense of the Chiefs than it does on the Chargers. The next Chargers game is against the Los Angeles Rams, which I previously called their toughest game of the year. This will be a tough game to win, but a good game from running back Melvin Gordon might give them a better chance.
Big Day from Melvin Gordon Needed for Win over Los Angeles Rams
Looking at the Rams Defense
Obviously, Philip Rivers and his receivers will have to do their part as well. But given how stingy the pass defense of the Rams looks like right now, they can’t depend solely on the passing attack. The Rams defense shut down Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders passing attack in Week One. And while shutting down the Arizona Cardinals offense may not mean much so far, the Rams were still quite dominant against them too. They are loaded in the secondary (Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters stand out) and will not make it easy for Rivers.
Now, if one were to go off rushing yards allowed alone, it would be fair to assume the run defense was just as tough. Marshawn Lynch got 41 yards, and David Johnson ran for 48 yards. Two good running backs with that few yards against that defense? That may not sound so good. However, here’s the thing: neither running back got that many carries because the Rams were up most of the time. (Less so in the Raiders game, but they seem to run the ball less regardless.) If one goes by rushing yards allowed, the Rams are a top ten run defense. However, if one goes by average yards allowed per run (3.9 for the Rams), they become a more middling group.
As for Gordon Himself…
After not scoring in his rookie season in 2015, Gordon’s been of the bigger touchdown magnets in the league. He had 18 touchdowns in the next two seasons combined. On Sunday, he had three touchdowns, including two receiving ones. While his average yards per carry still might leave a bit to be desired, he still seems to have a nose for the end zone.
The increase this year in Gordon’s role in the receiving game should not be overlooked, either; he had those two receiving touchdowns on Sunday. Right now, he actually has more receiving yards (140) than he does rushing (92). In his defense, he was taken out of Sunday’s game with a minor injury, though he’s expected to be just fine. The point is, if he can continue being that big of a receiving threat, that will help the Chargers offense. Especially if Rivers is getting pressured by the Rams pass-rushers and needs someone to dump it off to.
Last Word
Rivers is obviously the main cog of the Chargers offense, and in the average game, it would probably make more sense to feature the passing attack more. However, in a game like this where the pass defense is quite tough and the run defense is somewhat less so, the Chargers need to feature Gordon more. They could also switch it up and get Austin Ekeler in the mix a bit too like they’ve been doing already.
Either way, the Chargers need to use their ground game to help move the ball. And they also can’t let themselves get too far behind so that they can’t run the ball at all. And as previously stated, featuring Gordon (or Ekeler) in the passing game works too. The Chargers just can’t put the entire game on Rivers. Normally, featuring Rivers is a good bet. However, against a loaded secondary like the Rams, doing so may turn out to be ill-advised.
Main Photo
