The Los Angeles Chargers have now won two straight games and hold a 4-5 record. While it still isn't good, they are clearly starting to find a groove.
The season is far from over and the Chargers proved last year that they can be one of the most dominant teams in the NFL. It also helps that they have superstar running back Melvin Gordon again.
Gordon was holding out and missed the first four games of the season. They are just 2-3 since his return, but if his last game is any indication, Gordon is getting back into the swing of things. Once he does that, he can change the entire offense into a well-oiled machine.
In Week 9, Gordon ran for 80 yards on 20 carries (4.0 yards per carry) and scored two touchdowns. All four of those numbers were season highs for the running back. In doing so, Gordon was one of the main cogs in a surprising 26-11 victory over the Green Bay Packers (now 7-2).
Now the Chargers need to ride that momentum. Both the momentum of back-to-back wins and Gordon's breakout game could help spark something for Los Angeles.
Now in Week 10, they square off with the Oakland Raiders. Oakland is 4-4 and has a number of impressive wins on the year. They are definitely a team you should not take lightly.
Los Angeles needs this win. If they lose, they will find themselves firmly in third place in the AFC West. However, Oakland presents a problem.
That problem is how good they've been against the run. The Raiders have allowed just 92.5 rushing yards per game. That's the seventh-fewest allowed in the NFL.
Meanwhile, the Chargers have run for only 79.4 yards per game (fifth-fewest in the NFL).
While you might think that means that running isn't a big part of Los Angeles' game, however, they are simply bad at it. They are averaging 3.6 yards per carry, again the fifth-fewest in the NFL.
In two of their four wins though, the Chargers have been fantastic running the ball. Against the Indianapolis Colts they had 125 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries (6.0 yards per carry). Meanwhile, against the Packers they had 159 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries (4.2 yards per carry).
Coincidentally, you could make a very easy argument that those are their two most impressive wins of the season.
So when the Chargers are running the ball well, good things happen.
What's special about Gordon though is that it's not all about the run. He can also change a game with his receiving skills. This gives the Chargers another option should things not be working too well running.
That's why it's so important for Gordon to have a big game though. Because he can impact the game in so many different ways. As we've seen, when Los Angeles runs well, they have a good chance of winning. Even if that running game abandons them though, Gordon can still impact the outcome.
The Chargers need to win to get back to .500. A loss puts them at 4-6 and really makes the playoffs seem like a pipe dream.
If they get a big game from Gordon, good things should come with it though.
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