Fantasy Index

Factoid

Melvin Gordon

Chargers running backs fumbled 6 times as a rookie

Despite having a poor season, the Chargers didn’t blow things up. Mike McCoy and GM Tom Telesco are back. And that could be a good thing for Melvin Gordon. He had a disappointing rookie season, but nobody is giving up on him just yet – and it’s not a new staff running things who never selected him in the first place.

Gordon wasn’t explosive or decisive enough. He didn’t score a touchdown all year (thought he did have a nice somersault-style touchdown in the first game that was overturned on a replay). He also had problems hanging onto the ball, with 6 fumbles.

But the fumbles are likely a problem that will be corrected. Fumbles are pretty common for young backs, and the tendency is for those to go away with additional coaching and experience.

Of the 55 running backs with at least 100 touches last year, for example, four of the six worst fumblers were rookies (with Matt Jones, Ameer Abdullah and David Johnson joining Gordon). Karlos Williams fumbled twice in only 104 touches.

This isn’t the case for every back. T.J. Yeldon and Jeremy Langford didn’t fumble at all last year, which was really impressive.

But we don’t see fumbles as a big concern for Gordon or Matt Jones. Abdullah is a little bit different, in that he has small hands and was plagued by fumbles at Nebraska.

RUNNING BACK FUMBLES
TmPlayerTouchesFumPct
JACT.J. Yeldon2180.00%
WASAlfred Morris2120.00%
CLEIsaiah Crowell2040.00%
BALJustin Forsett1820.00%
SDDanny Woodhead1780.00%
CHIJeremy Langford1700.00%
PITLeVeon Bell1370.00%
SEAMarshawn Lynch1240.00%
HOUChris Polk1150.00%
NOTim Hightower1080.00%
MIALamar Miller2411.41%
CINGiovani Bernard2041.49%
KCCharcandrick West1801.56%
PHIDarren Sproles1771.56%
NELeGarrette Blount1711.58%
CLEDuke Johnson1671.60%
TENAntonio Andrews1651.61%
SEAThomas Rawls1561.64%
NYGShane Vereen1341.75%
CHIMatt Forte2622.76%
SFCarlos Hyde1261.79%
DETTheo Riddick1231.81%
PHIDeMarco Murray2372.84%
BUFLeSean McCoy2352.85%
DETJoique Bell1131.88%
ATLDevonta Freeman3383.89%
NYGRashad Jennings2242.89%
CLE-SFShaun Draughn1101.91%
NOMark Ingram2162.93%
ARIChris Johnson2022.99%
HOUAlfred Blue19821.01%
DALDarren McFadden28031.07%
BALJavorius Allen18221.10%
DENC.J. Anderson17721.13%
CARJonathan Stewart25831.16%
STLTodd Gurley25031.20%
CINJeremy Hill23831.26%
TAMCharles Sims15821.27%
DENRonnie Hillman23131.30%
OAKLatavius Murray30741.30%
INDFrank Gore29441.36%
NYJChris Ivory27741.44%
TAMDoug Martin32151.56%
TENDexter McCluster12321.63%
PITDeAngelo Williams24041.67%
NYJBilal Powell11821.69%
BUFKarlos Williams10421.92%
GBEddie Lacy20741.93%
MINAdrian Peterson35771.96%
ARIDavid Johnson18342.19%
PHIRyan Mathews12732.36%
DETAmeer Abdullah20552.44%
GBJames Starks19152.62%
SDMelvin Gordon21762.76%
WASMatt Jones16353.07%

—Ian Allan

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