This will not dissuade Gordon's family and friends from trying to fill the stands on Sunday.
HOMECOMING: Welcome back to the Midwest, Melvin Gordon.
WOE LINE: The front five in front of Gordon remains in flux due to injuries. Left tackle King Dunlap (concussion) and left guard Orlando Franklin (ankle) have missed two games, and center Chris Watt sustained a concussion in Monday night's loss to the Steelers.
Dunlap, Watt and Chris Hairston, who has started at left tackle the last two games, all missed practice Wednesday, while right guard D.J. Fluker and Franklin were limited.
The Chargers (2-3) lost 24-20 to Pittsburgh on Le'Veon Bell's touchdown run Monday night. They have to fly halfway across the country, across two time zones,Wholesale Jerseys, to play a Packers team that has the league's longest current home winning streak at 12 games.
"This is definitely an offensive team, there's no doubt about that," linebacker Clay Matthews said. "But it's nice when you can carry your own weight, and it seems for the longest time it's offense, offense, offense."
RODGERS: Time to start another streak for the Packers quarterback. He threw his first interception at home in nearly three years after getting picked off twice by St. Louis,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys.
CLAY & CO.: The long-haired linebacker is as dangerous as ever,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, perhaps even more so now that Matthews plays both inside and outside. It is imperative for quarterback Philip Rivers to figure out where Matthews is on the field, and how he's being used.
"You have to have a short memory in this business," Chargers coach Mike McCoy said.
The quarterback is "looking forward to adjusting and being creative,Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping, as we like to think we are on offense, and get ready for these guys,Cheap NHL Jerseys," coach Mike McCarthy said.
Coach Mike McCarthy's squad is finding success despite a two-game speed bump for the normally high-scoring offense,Cheap Jerseys From China. A stout pass rush and solid special teams play has helped carry the load.
Their next task? Slowing down the top pass rush in the NFC with 20 sacks.
The Chargers can only wish those were the extent of their problems.
One less day to prepare for the Packers (5-0) isn't going to help, either.
The Chargers' rookie running back grew up in Kenosha in southeastern Wisconsin and stayed in-state to play, having a record-setting college career with the Badgers. In the pros, Gordon has not scored a touchdown in five games, in part because of the inconsistent offensive line. That puts him way behind the pace set by LaDainian Tomlinson as a rookie in 2001, and even behind Ryan Mathews, the back Gordon replaced.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Shake it off, San Diego.
Usually, it's quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the offense spearheading the Packers' push to the top of the NFC North.
Things to watch ahead of the teams' first meeting at Lambeau since the Packers beat the Chargers 31-24 in 2007:
THE GATES EFFECT: Tight end Antonio Gates had an instant impact in his return from a four-game PED suspension, catching two TD passes on Monday night. That gives him 101 for his career, second all-time among tight ends behind Tony Gonzalez. It's possible the Packers could put Matthews, their most athletic defender, on Gates to help slow him down.
This week, there have been questions about the offense's ability to go deep after the Rams contained the run and focused on defending short passing routes. The good news for the Packers is that receiver Davante Adams appears closer to returning from a sprained left ankle to provide another target for Rodgers.
Matthews is tied with Julius Peppers for the team lead with 4 1/2 sacks. But there are waves of pass rushers beyond the veteran duo. The Packers seem to be rotating edge rushers in pairs, with younger players such as Jayrone Elliott (two sacks) getting more opportunities to get after the quarterback.
No point for the Chargers to rehash a painful loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the last play of their last game, especially with a trip to Lambeau Field to play unbeaten Green Bay up next Sunday.
"I've got people texting me left and right, 'Can you get me two tickets?'" the rookie joked.
"Whoever is tapping out, if they need a break, we just go out there and get a chance to help each other out," Elliott said.
