RB GORDON APOLOGIZES AFTER HIS DUI ARREST
It has been the No. 1 rule in Broncos Country since 1983: Don’t cross John Elway. So consider yourself warned, coach Vic Fangio.
Knock off the fumbling, Melvin Gordon.
And special- teams coach Tom McMahon? Might want to update your LinkedIn profile.
“It’s not too late,” Gordon said Wednesday. “We’ve got a lot of games left to turn things around and the year is not over with for us.”
Well, Mr. Gordon. With all due respect, sir, you might want to add some urgency to your timetable.
With a 2- 4 record and the locker room feeling the strain of an offense unable to pull its weight, the Broncos are testing Elway’s patience. A loss to the Chargers this week is not an op
“Obviously, I try my best to walk a straight line and lead by example,” he said. “I’m a little upset I even put myself in this situation. I had a hard time just dealing with it myself — never been in trouble before.
“To the people of Denver and everyone, I just don’t want anyone to feel like I don’t care and ( think), ‘ Oh, he has money, he doesn’t care.’ I do. I’m not happy I was in that situation.”
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, DUI convictions can carry a three- game suspension. The NFL office, not the Broncos, handles the discipline and generally waits until the legal case is closed.
“I’m not really worried about ( a potential suspension) to be honest,” Gordon said. “You deal with that when you have to deal with it. Right now, I’m focused on the Chargers and getting my mind prepared to win this game.”
“This game” is a must- win for the 2- 4 Broncos if they want to get to .500 by the season’s halfway point. Gordon will start and be the lead back if Phillip Lindsay ( concussion) is unavailable. Gordon leads the team in rushing attempts ( 82), yards ( 349) and touchdowns ( four).
Gordon played the last five years for the Chargers, who drafted him 15th overall in 2015. In 57 regular- season games, he rushed for 4,240 yards and 36 touchdowns and caught 224 passes ( 11 touchdowns).
The Gordon- Chargers marriage dissolved last year when he held out of training camp and the first three regular- season games in a contract dispute. During the offseason, the Chargers committed to Eaton native Austin Ekeler and let Gordon walk in free agency.
“I’ve talked to a couple of guys and they told me they’re going to be coming after me,” Gordon said with a laugh. “I don’t take it any differently than any other week. I’ll practice really hard and try to mentally and physically ready for any team ahead of us. You don’t want to be overly hyped with emotion because that’s how you make mistakes and do too much and put yourself in a bad position.”
Trying to do too much got Gordon in a bad position against Kansas City last Sunday. He lost a fumble near midfield after a 16yard catch and later delivered an errant toss to quarterback Drew Lock on a flea- flicker that was recovered by the Chiefs.
“The guy who fumbles feels the worst in the whole stadium and whole world at that point of time,” Gordon said. “But I’m dying to make a play. I’m trying to help this team win and I’ll do whatever it takes as a competitor and sometimes, when you have 3- 4 guys on you, you have to be smart and go down. You can’t take on the whole team. I don’t feel like ( fumbling) is an issue for me.
“As far as the flea- flicker, how many times in a year do you run that play? It was unfortunate. I put too much on it. I was upset with myself.”