NFL/Photo by Michael Roberts
Audio By Carbonatix
Your Denver Broncos’ October 17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football brought the current season to a humiliating low after just six games. Clearly, a scapegoat was needed, and conveniently, Melvin Gordon has nominated himself for the role.
During the broadcast, Gordon got plenty of spotlight time even though head coach Nathaniel Hackett chose to keep him on the sidelines for much of the contest, thanks to his frequent displays of expressions like the one above – the sort of look worn by pouting four-year-olds in time-out. And then there was the sympathetic ear he turned to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who was caught by ESPN’s cameras in mid-rant. Afterward, Gordon liked several social media posts suggesting that he demand a trade – the sort of passive-aggressive behavior that’s become a staple of malcontents in the online age.
At this point, citizens of Broncos Country would like to see Gordon go, too, for a myriad of reasons beyond his bad attitude. But while excising this locker-room cancer would offer temporary relief, there’s no indication that it would cure what ails this suddenly very sick squad.
A former Charger whose tenure dates back to the period when the franchise called San Diego home, Gordon has been a member of the Broncos since 2020, and while he’s frequently displayed his slashing rushing style since then, he’s also exhibited a serious case of butterfingers. Through September, according to Pro Football Reference, he’d fumbled ten times in 34 games with Denver, including at the goal line in the Broncos’ 17-16 opening-game loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Gordon apologists tried to excuse away that gaffe by arguing that he’d been reaching for the end zone on fourth down. But he fumbled twice more during Denver’s 11-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers, albeit without losing either. And then, on his first carry against the Las Vegas Raiders on October 2, the rock again slipped out of his hands and into the mitts of the Raiders’ Amik Robertson, who returned it for six points.
This scoop-and-score was a big reason that the Broncos fell to the Raiders, and afterward, an emotional Gordon walked out of a press conference when questioned about his issues with ball security, as seen in the video below.
This is sad fr. Melvin Gordon needs to get his head right. pic.twitter.com/wBLtGSnPRo
— 13-4 until proven otherwise i guess (@ElwaysEarlobes) October 3, 2022
That Gordon is even a Denver Bronco at this point is something of a surprise. The team’s decision to draft Javonte Williams in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft was widely interpreted as an indication that management was ready to move on – and Gordon seemed fine with that. But when he didn’t receive a big free-agent deal during the off-season, he returned to Denver on a one-year contract at a reduced rate, but with performance incentives built in. And while his error against the Raiders seemed to guarantee a reduction of his playing time to zero, the fact that Williams tore his ACL in the same game and is now out for the rest of the campaign gave him a chance for redemption.
Things haven’t worked out that way. Gordon didn’t officially fumble in Denver’s October 6 defeat to the woeful Indianapolis Colts, but he came damn close, spilling the pill an instant after his knee hit the turf on one occasion. And when he earned just eight yards on three carries against the Chargers, Hackett gave him the hook in favor of new acquisition Latavius Murray and back-bencher Mike Boone, prompting his display of Resting Sad Face for the remainder of the night.
Jeudy was much more exercised, as seen in the following clip tweeted by ex-baller-turned-commentator Robert Griffin III that’s since become a meme:
Caption this… pic.twitter.com/zHeC0bQKYh
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 18, 2022
Of course, Jeudy’s had problems of his own. He was arrested in May on an allegation of second-degree tampering with a domestic-violence enhancer for preventing the mother of his one-month-old child from removing a car seat and other items from a vehicle during a verbal disagreement. Prosecutors dropped the charges within weeks, and quarterback Russell Wilson went out of his way to embrace the highly regarded pass-catcher, a former first-round draft pick out of Alabama who’s failed to meet expectations thus far – and he made three grabs for 54 yards versus the Chargers, including a 37-yard scamper in the first half. But there were multiple misfires, too, during which Jeudy seemed to either run the wrong route, suffer a communications disconnect or otherwise have no idea where the ball was going.
Jeudy’s temper tantrum inspired some sports-talk-radio types to call for his ouster yesterday, as the video of his fit reached viral levels of circulation. But the chorus was much louder for dumping Gordon. Consider the takes of Zach Bye and Brandon Stokely on 104.3 The Fan, Denver’s best sports-radio tandem. The pair had criticized the decision to re-sign Gordon from the beginning, since he clearly wasn’t comfortable backing up Williams and seemed to take the deal only because he was out of options, and they forcefully argued that his continued presence could have the effect of decimating any semblance of team unity at the worst conceivable time.
The fact that Gordon couldn’t line up a contract with any unit other than the Broncos indicates that his trade value is practically zip, which makes it likely he’ll simply be cut from the roster, and probably soon. But the team’s inability to score points – Denver’s current average is 15.2 per game, the worst in the NFL – and questions about the apparent deterioration of Wilson’s skills and/or his health won’t be solved by Gordon’s departure.
We’ll miss that pout, too. Don’t you just want to give him a hug?
