One of the more NFL’s more versatile offensive players, Gordon has 802 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground to go along with 44 catches for 453 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half of the Chargers’ 45-10 win on Sunday. Gordon already had missed one game this season because of a knee injury, but Los Angeles Coach Anthony Lynn said the damage Sunday was done to Gordon’s other knee.

The Chargers sit at 8-3 and are in good shape for at least an AFC wild-card berth, but they have crucial games remaining against the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday night and then a road game 11 days later in Kansas City against the Chiefs, who are one game ahead of Los Angeles in the AFC West standings.

AD

AD

Austin Ekeler, who totaled 103 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown Sunday, likely will assume Gordon’s role in the starting lineup. Rookie Justin Jackson also looked solid, averaging 8.1 yards on seven carries after Gordon went down.

After Sunday’s game, Lynn defended the play call that resulted in Gordon’s injury. With a 28-10 lead on the Chargers' first possession of the third quarter, Ekeler took a pass from quarterback Philip Rivers and then pitched it to Gordon on a reverse. Nkemdiche inadvertently leg-whipped Gordon to the ground for a 10-yard loss.

“That’s a play that we’ve had in for a long time,” Lynn told reporters. “We’ve been trying to get it called in a game. Melvin loves the play, and we were not taking our foot off the gas pedal.

AD

“It’s a play if he gets around the perimeter, he may still be running. But they made a heck of a play and hit us in the backfield.”