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Tuesday night Pro Bowl selections were announced and San Diego Chargers sophomore running back Melvin Gordon was left off the initial roster and right now is slated as a third alternative. He deserves to play in the Pro Bowl and should not have to wait to see if multiple players drop out to go. Gordon’s stats back up a Pro Bowl caliber running back. In addition to his statistics, Gordon overcame other obstacles this year and that should be under consideration.
Melvin Gordon currently ranks 10th in the league in 997 rushing yards on 254 attempts and 10 touchdowns with only two fumbles. Gordon also has 41 catches for 419 yards and 2 touchdowns ranking 6th in the league. His stats stand as a top tier back in this league despite missing the past two games with a hip injury. Before his injury, he ranked 5th in rushing, and 3rd in receiving. Gordon was also one of few running backs to made up more than 50 percent of his team’s offense. He has truly become a bell cow back and thrived in that role. Gordon this year has been a decisive runner that runs with tremendous power ranking in the top 5 in yards after contact. Before his injury, Pro Football Focus ranked Gordon 2nd among running backs grading at an 83.6 but somehow ended up a third alternative!
The Steelers Le’Veon Bell, the Titans Demarco Murray, and the Bills LeSean McCoy all were elected to the Pro Bowl to represent the AFC. All three of those teams’ offensive lines rank in the top 11 of the league according to Pro Football. The Chargers offensive line ranks 32nd, that’s last. So Gordon has put up comparable numbers with less around him and being asked to do more. Many times Gordon has turned nothing into something. He makes the most of his touches and is improving. His pass blocking has been way better than anticipated this year and has fully earned the trust of Philip Rivers.
Gordon also did not have any cupcakes on his schedule. He ran effectively within the division which includes a 94 and 111-yard rushing marks against the reigning Super Bowl Champs the Denver Broncos. In addition to that, Gordon had an impressive 196-yard rushing game against a top 10 run defense team in the Tennessee Titans. Gordon not only has vastly improved from his abysmal rookie year but deserves to be credited as one of the top running backs in the league.
It is a shame that Gordon did not get voted and it is probably due to the Chargers losing season. He deserves to be in Orlando. He has worked hard to get to where he is and I expect him to only keep improving. This is just the door swinging open for Gordon and hopefully sooner rather the later the rest of the nation will know how good Melvin Gordon is. It will be nice to see if Gordon gets in as an alternate but if not, he will get what he’s due. The Chargers have a good one at running back going forward.