Melvin Gordon is 92 yards from his first 1,000-yard season. If the second-year Chargers running back is going to get there Sunday, his offensive line must provide him running lanes.
That won’t be easy against an aggressive Buccaneers defensive front led by Gerald McCoy, the seventh-year defensive tackle who had a sack and a half in Tampa Bay’s surprising, 14-5 win Sunday over the Seahawks.
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McCoy had just three tackles, but he affects the game by demanding double teams to open things up for Bucs linebackers Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David.
The Seahawks had just 47 yards on 14 carries from their running backs. Thomas Rawls was limited to 38 yards on 12 carries, his longest run an 8-yard gain. He was stuffed for a yard in the third quarter as McCoy muscled his way through Seahawks rookie George Fant to force Rawls to redirect his run. He ran right into the grasp of David and defensive end Robert Ayers.
After rushing for only 641 yards and not scoring a single touchdown as a rookie, Gordon has had a breakout season. His 11 total TDs are tied for fourth in the league, though he hasn’t scored since a Week 9 win over the Titans.
That 43-35 victory was by far the best game of Gordon’s brief career. He ran for 196 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries and caught four passes for 65 yards. The 261 yards from scrimmage were the second-most in franchise history.
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Many of Gordon’s big plays come as a result of his vision, patience and explosive ability in the open field. His biggest run against the Titans was a 47-yard jaunt late in the fourth quarter that sealed the win. The offensive line actually got a pretty good push off the left side, especially by tight end Sean McGrath. Gordon then ran over a pair of defensive backs before he was pushed out of bounds by cornerback Jason McCourty.
Gordon’s 43-yard run in the second quarter came on a draw, which could be effective against the Buccaneers' pass rush. Gordon got a great block by tight end Antonio Gates on linebacker Avery Williamson before bursting into the open field.
On Gordon’s touchdown, he followed fullback Derek Watt through a hole created by left guard Orlando Franklin for the 1-yard score.
While Gordon has had more success this year, the Chargers' offensive line is still not very good. On the first play of a Week 10 loss to the Dolphins, the Chargers' line got absolutely no push off the snap. Gordon wanted to run between the right guard D.J. Fluker and tackle Joe Barksdale. The Chargers even had an extra blocker in Kenny Wiggins on the right side, but the hole quickly filled up.
Gordon bounced it outside for a 2-yard gain.
Gordon had trouble getting on track in the 31-24 loss, rushing for 70 yards on 24 carries. His longest run was for 19 yards late in the first quarter. The play was designed as a middle run on the right side, but the hole again was filled. Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso blitzed, anticipating another run up the middle, and Gordon bounced it outside.
But he was stopped for no gain on the very next play by defensive end Cameron Wake and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus. An inside blitz by Neville Hewitt paid off this time.
The Chargers averaged just 3.5 yards per rush last year, and Gordon is averaging only 3.9 yards per carry this season. The problem has been the line’s inability to move defenders.
Dolphins defensive tackle Earl Mitchell was double-teamed by center Matt Slauson and Franklin but still met Gordon at the line for a 1-yard gain.
The Chargers struggled with the likes of Wake and Ndamukong Suh. McCoy and Ayers present a similar challenge. Because those two demand so much attention, Alexander was able to stop Rawls for a 3-yard gain for one of his 90 tackles this season.
The Seahawks used center Joey Hunt and guards Mark Glowinski and Germain Ifedi to block Ayers and McCoy. That left Alexander free to crash the hole and take out Rawls’ legs for a short gain.
San Diego’s offensive line issues were also evident in last week’s 21-13 win over the Texans. Gordon rushed for 70 yards on 17 carries, but 11 of those attempts were for 3 or fewer yards. That includes the first play of San Diego’s opening series, a three-and-out.
The Texans defensive linemen were able to get excellent penetration, and Gordon was fortunate to pick up 2 yards. Texans linebacker Bernardrick McKinney did a nice job of stepping in to fill the hole.
If the Chargers' offensive line can win the battle up front, San Diego should be able to control the clock and put up some points, especially with Philip Rivers throwing.
But if Tampa Bay’s defensive front controls the line of scrimmage, the Chargers might be waving goodbye to their already-slim playoff chances.