There’s not much for Broncos country to be happy about in the backfield.
When Javonte Williams suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4, that opened the door for Melvin Gordon to get a bit more volume. Unbeknownst to fantasy owners, that wouldn’t necessarily be the case.
During the Broncos’ 19-16 loss to the Chargers on “Monday Night Football,” Latavius Murray earned a healthy serving of the night’s carries, with Gordon slipping comfortably deep into the second back role for Nathaniel Hackett’s offense. In a full night of action in a loss to the Chargers, Gordon carried the ball just three times for eight yards total. And, no, he’s not actually hurt, according to Nathaniel Hackett.
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Gordon’s usage is a bit surprising: When Williams was healthy, there was a healthy split of carries between the duo. Now, with Williams on the shelf, Murray got the snaps ahead of Gordon in Week 6, leaving some question as to what exactly is going on with the Broncos backfield.
Here’s what’s going on the the veteran back:
What happened to Melvin Gordon?
What’s going on with Gordon isn’t a great mystery: The veteran has offered diminishing returns running the rock in 2022. He also has a dreadful case of ‘fumbleitis.’
The latter point first: In 2022, Gordon has fumbled the ball four times, losing two. That’s not exactly a new development; fumbling has been an issue for Gordon throughout his career. The veteran has fumbled 25 times, losing 18 in eight seasons (103 games).
The other part of the Gordon equation is how ineffective he’s been since the start of the season. In Weeks 1 and 2, Gordon notched 4.8 and 4.7 yards per attempt, respectively, against the Seahawks and Texans. In Weeks 3 and 4, Gordon went 2.2 and 2.7 YPA, respectively. Not exactly glowing numbers for an aging back.
Gordon has also had just two runs of 10-plus yards so far this year, through 58 snaps, a number that’s already matched by Latavius Murray. For comparison, Gordon had 23 such runs on 203 attempts in 2021.
With Nathaniel Hackett’s offense still in flux — including its offensive line — the first-year head coach praised Murray’s ability to take contact and get downhill in Week 6, but it’s unclear how Murray’s solid game (15 carries, 66 yards) affects Gordon’s standing with the team moving forward.
Monday night’s postgame availability answered very little as it pertains to Gordon and his role in the Broncos offense. Hackett was not inundated with questions regarding his RB depth chart.
But if their loss to the Chargers is any indication, then it’s not a rosy picture for Gordon’s future snap share.
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