As the Chargers prepare for their first practice of Week 14, we probe Melvin Gordon’s struggles with protecting the ball and revisit the team’s plans for the rookie running back.

• Gordon has six fumbles, most in the NFL. At least he’s in lofty company. Adrian Peterson has five fumbles this season. Frank Gore is third with four. LaDainian Tomlinson fumbled eight times as a Chargers rookie in 2001.

• Gordon, however, is losing the ball far more often. Here are the touches per fumble: Gordon 31.2, L.T. 49.75, Peterson 54.4, Gore 56.0.

• For Wisconsin, Gordon’s fingers were stickier. He fumbled 12 times in his career, but only once per 72.25 touches. Near career’s end, though, a small yellow light blinked on the dashboard: five fumbles in the last six games.


• Gordon was in essence an outside rusher for the Badgers, who launched him on off-tackle runs and kept trash out of the backfield. The college game’s wide hashes opened up field-side vistas, too. He now, like most NFL rookies, must deal with more trash in the backfield and more traffic in general, not to mention grown men who are adept at stealing the ball. It’s always a mystery how all that will turn out with a rookie.

• Gordon has impressive balance; it’s the No. 1 ingredient, I think, in his total of 32 missed tackles. Only four other NFL backs have more missed tackles: Jonathan Stewart, Doug Martin, Chris Ivory and Peterson.

• It’s surprising Gordon has no 20-carry games, let alone a touchdown. Several factors have cut into his playing time. His fumbles are on the lengthy list, though not first.

• With Philip Rivers, the Chargers always figure to have a pass-first offense. Even so, I don’t think anyone at Chargers Park expected the team to become so pass-oriented. San Diego’s passing percentage, at 65.2 percent of plays from scrimmage, is fifth-highest in the NFL.


• Tom Telesco invested a $36.5-million contract in guard Orlando Franklin. He figured to improve the run and pass blocking, off Chad Rinehart’s poor 2014 season. Against the Broncos last week, Franklin made his third start since returning from a mid-season knee injury. One run play stood out. Franklin used his strong hands to displace a lineman. Then he sealed a linebacker. Gordon, who had taken a draw handoff from shotgun, followed the two blocks for a 21-yard rush.

Unfortunately for the Chargers, they’ve mostly floundered in the ground game.

• When the exhibition season began, the Chargers ran the ball at a high rate. Coach Mike McCoy even cited the rush total 10 days later. Thirty-eight carries. It was the sixth-most of the opening-week 17 exhibitions, counting the Hall of Fame game. It might take time for Gordon, other backs and the blockers to build trust, McCoy said, but in time, the persistence would pay off.

“He can take it to the house,” the coach said Aug. 19. “He’s got plenty of speed to go the distance. He’s an explosive player. We just clean a few things up, up front, he’ll be fine. He’ll have plenty of explosiveness for us. Keep working at it. Keep pounding it. We ran it 38 times in the game. Just keep pounding the ball. Those three- and four-yard gains will turn into big plays as we go.”


• Gordon has popped several nice runs, including six of at least 15 yards. He still seeks the home run. The Chargers never really turned the vision into reality. They’ve not pounded away at any opponent, in part because they’re usually trailed in the second half.

They have four more games. Can the run blockers and Gordon put together a strong game?

Tomlinson, during a visit last month, said he doubted Gordon or the Chargers could make big adjustments this season in the ground game. It’s in the offseason, he said, that Gordon’s biggest jump will come.