Melvin Gordon was the driving force behind the San Diego Chargers’ 43-35 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Today, he has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He is the first Chargers running back to win the award since LaDainian Tomlinson. Gordon’s career day against the Titans saw him carry the ball 32 times for 196 rushing yards and a touchdown. He added another 65 yards as a receiver.
The most enduring image from Sunday’s game will likely be Gordon breaking through the line for a 47-yard run on 3rd & 7 that effectively ended any chance the Titans had of staging a comeback. Failing to close out games in which they had the lead has been a recurring theme for the 2016 Chargers, so that made Gordon’s day even more impressive in the context of this season. He all but dragged the team across the finish line.
On the NFC side, the Offensive Player of the Week title was awarded to Matt Ryan for his spectacular performance against the Bucs on Thursday night.