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The Denver Broncos were once again embarrassed on national TV for multiple reasons. One reason was because of how bad quarterback Russell Wilson played in the second half, but another reason was because on running back Melvin Gordon.
Gordon only had three carries in Denver’s loss against the Los Angeles Chargers for a total of eight yards. The two-time Pro Bowl running back never got a single carry after the first quarter and was benched for newly acquired running back Latavius Murray.
In just his second week with the team and first game as a Bronco, Murray carried the ball 15 times for 66 yards. It was clear Gordon was not happy because he was seen multiple times pouting on the sideline with his helmet off.
ESPN broadcast says there’s no injury for Melvin Gordon on #MNF.
He’s been benched in favor of Latavius Murray and Mike Boone.
When being asked why Gordon didn’t play in the second half, head coach Nathaniel Hackett responded, “In the second quarter and third quarter, we didn’t have a lot of football plays. We we’re going three and out. Our plan was to get into manageable third down situations to be able to move the ball and control the clock, we did and just didn’t convert on third-down.”
“When it comes to the running back play, we need to look at that and sit there and say if somebody’s doing a really good job, I think Latavius was doing a fine job. He had the opportunity to go another series. We just didn’t really have a lot of plays,” Hackett added.
Gordon Spoke his Mind After the Game
It wasn’t just Gordon’s small workload that caused a lot of attention, it was his postgame interview in the locker room with NFL Network reporter Bridget Condon.
When Gordon was asked what happened during the game because it sparked some frustration, Gordon responded, “I don’t know, I really can’t explain it. I’m a little bitter that we lost the game.”
Condon continued by asking Gordon what changed for him between the first and second half, ” I don’t know. Me and you both kind of clueless on that. I’m sure it’ll be a conversation that’s had, but to tell you exactly what happened, I can’t say because I don’t know.”
“Nobody mentioned it to me,” Gordon said when he wasn’t part of the Denver offense in the second half. “It was a close game. I felt like I could’ve helped make a difference, but apparently not.”
Gordon was expected to be the number one running back once Denver’s leading rusher Javonte Williams went down with a torn ACL against the Las Vegas Raiders just two games earlier.
Last week against the Indianapolis Colts, Gordon rushed for 54 yards on just 15 carries. That averaged out to just 3.6 yards per carry. Denver’s backup running back Mike Boone on the other hand, averaged 5.4 yards per carry.
It’s clear that Hackett wants to go with the running back that’s in rhythm with the hot hand.
Gordon Took his Frustrations to Twitter
After pouting on the sidelines and doing an interview with a national reporter, Gordon decided to make his frustrations known on social media after the game.
Not trying to hide it, Gordon went on Twitter and liked tweets suggesting that the Broncos need to trade him or release him. There was even a tweet that Gordon liked that suggested he should be traded to the Los Angeles Rams for running back Cam Akers.
Melvin Gordon’s ‘liked’ tweets are… not ideal.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching on November 1st, teams could be desperate enough to trade for the 29-year-old running back.
With just a $2.25 million dead cap this season, it shouldn’t come as surprise if the Broncos decide to release Gordon if they can’t find a trade partner. Gordon’s product on the field hasn’t been up to par this season. Fumbling the ball four times this year in crucial moments of games and rushing for just 201 yards on 55 attempts, Gordon is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and has only found the endzone once.
It’s fair to say that Gordon’s status with the Broncos moving forward is up in the air.
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Broncos RB Melvin Gordon Sounds Off After Loss to Chargers