We can’t stress it enough that when Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has the ball in his hands, the offense looks a lot more dynamic.
In yesterday’s loss to the Titans, we saw more life when Ekeler touched the rock. Even though he was primarily used as a pass-catcher, he made the most of his touches.
Ekeler finished with seven catches for 118 yards on eight targets, including a touchdown where he was lined up out wide and absolutely took the top off the defense, showcasing his wheels.
Since RB Melvin Gordon’s return, he’s been the primary back and the outcome has been pretty ugly. Gordon is currently averaging 2.5 yards per carry and we saw what happened when he was turned to win the game in the final seconds. He fumbled it away.
Ekeler came up one yard shy from winning the game, but he was the main reason that they got so close to coming out victorious to begin with.
There’s no denying that the ground game hasn’t been as efficient the past three weeks due to the lack of push from the offensive line, but Ekeler hasn’t been given the football as much out of the backfield anymore to continue his dominance that he was having the first four weeks of the season.
Many believe that Gordon is a better runner because he’s a bruiser, but that hasn’t been effective. The lack of vision is evident and he continues to stop his feet behind the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, Ekeler sees any opening immediately, and he has the speed and the elusiveness to shake defenders.
Sunday showed why Los Angeles needs to go back to giving Ekeler more than five carries per game. His usage in the passing game will continue to pay dividends, but if he could become their complete back again, the offense should go back to prospering.
