Melvin Gordon had been extremely underwhelming for the Los Angeles Chargers since returning from his holdout in Week 4. In spite of his early struggles, Gordon is finally back after his big game versus the Green Bay Packers.

When Gordon ended his holdout, the belief was that the Chargers' offense would automatically be fixed with a snap of the finger. Instead, Los Angeles immediately found out that they weren't getting the same running back that had carried the workload for them in the previous four years.

In his first four starts, the Wisconsin product had rushed for a mere 112 yards on 44 attempts (2.55 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. At the same time, he also only had 11 receptions for 37 yards and a score as a receiver.

Then, the two-time Pro Bowler was able to get into a rhythm in Week 9 against the Packers. Coming into the game, the 3-5 Chargers were underdogs to the 7-1 Packers.

Los Angeles knew that one of the best ways to defeat Aaron Rodgers is to keep him on the sideline. As a result, they instilled a heavy dose of Gordon and Austin Ekeler early and often.

On Sunday, Gordon scored the first touchdown of the game in the third quarter. Altogether, Gordon finished with 80 yards on 20 attempts and two touchdowns en route to Los Angeles' 26-11 upset win over Green Bay.

Of course, the four yards per carry are less-than-stellar, but it's a positive sign seeing Gordon be a key contributor in the Chargers' offense. Prior to the team's game against the Packers, they decided to move on from Ken Whisenhunt as their offensive coordinator.

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In his place, Shane Steichen, the team's quarterback coach, assumed the role of interim offensive coordinator. Unlike in recent weeks, Steichen made a concerted effort to get Gordon into a groove early in the game.

With his bounce-back performance on Sunday, Gordon is starting to return to his former self that once had 1,581 yards in a season. Gordon's return as a productive running back comes at a perfect time for the Chargers.

Before Week 9, the chances of the Chargers making the playoffs were beginning to look bleak. Now, with a 4-5 record, there is now a small glimmer of hope for Anthony Lynn's squad.

The dynamic running back will look to carry over his newfound momentum into Week 10 against the Oakland Raiders. Despite being on the road, Los Angeles is opening as one-point favorites over their division foes.

There's no doubt that Gordon is part of the reason why that is the case.