There were a few culprits in the Denver Broncos' 12-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. There was poor offensive play calling from head coach Nathaniel Hackett, dropped balls from the receivers, and ill-advised throws from Russell Wilson.
The Broncos fumbled Thursday night’s game, but Melvin Gordon’s past woes did not contribute to the team’s collapse.
Over the span of his career, Gordon's lack of ball security has put him at the center of public criticism. Gordon has four fumbles through five games — the most for a running back this season.
Gordon finished Thursday night’s game with 15 carries for 54 yards (with a long of 17 yards). He was beneficial in the passing game and provided key blocks when needed. Moreover, he made a concerted effort to wrap both hands around the ball as he gained yards.
Although much improved, Gordon made Broncos Country's hearts drop temporarily when he lost the football in one key series. However, it was evident that his knee was down before losing control of the ball.
After the Broncos' loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Hackett made it abundantly clear how he feels about Gordon's fumbling.
“In the end, you can’t put the ball on the ground," Hackett said "It’s that simple. We always say take care of the ball, it’s the most important thing. It’s not like he’s trying to do it, we understand that. But we just have to be even better with our ball security across the board.”
This possibly lit a fire that contributed to Gordon's solid, if unspectacular, play on Thursday night.
With the season-ending injury to Javonte Williams, Gordon is now the Broncos RB1, although the newly-acquired Latavius Murray may eventually have something to say about it. In the first game post-Williams, Mike Boone made a solid contribution, rushing for 38 yards on seven carries (5.42 avg).
These two veterans are waiting in the wings should Gordon squander what faith the Broncos still have in him as the top back. Although Week 5 was an improvement, Gordon will need to be more consistent with his ball security to fully regain the trust of Broncos players, staff, and fans.
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