But the guys getting their chances in the absence of holdout running back Melvin Gordon know their approach has to be the same.While Gordon’s still in search of the kind of payday the Chargers don’t seem inclined to give him White Easton Stick Jersey , Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson are getting used to carrying a heavier load.“I mean, even if he was here, we have the same mentality,” Ekeler said of Gordon, via the . “If he’s here, we still have to move forward. If he’s not here, we still have to move forward.”Ekeler ran five times for 40 yards in the preseason opener, but lost a fumble. Jackson ran five times for 22 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers aren’t bad (other than the fumble Youth Trevor Williams Jerseys , fumbles are bad), but they’re obviously not the same without Gordon.At the moment, no one knows whether or when Gordon might show up, so they have to say all the right things.“I don’t know that scenario. Like I said, we miss Melvin,” offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. “I think Melvin’s a hell of a football player, but we’re working with the guys that are here and they’re doing a nice job.”And unless the performances get markedly worse, Gordon doesn’t seem to be gaining any more leverage. When Philip Rivers made his first NFL start in 2006 Trevor Williams Jerseys Stitched , Matthew Stafford was just starting his freshman year at Georgia.Rivers has never missed a start since stepping on the field for the Chargers on that September afternoon and, barring an anvil falling on his head, he’ll make his 210th straight start against the Lions this weekend. That will tie Eli Manning, who was traded for Rivers on draft day in 2004, for the second longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.Stafford knows a thing or two about showing up every week as he’ll be making his 130th straight start this weekend and that leaves him as a member of the Philip Rivers fan club.“I got a lot of respect for him as a player,” Stafford said, via the . “He’s a great quarterback, does a great job Youth Philip Rivers Jerseys , I think underappreciated in a lot of aspects. And obviously like you said, the guy shows up for his team every week. Played in the AFC championship game with a torn ACL, which is incredible. I’m sure has played through a million other things that nobody knows about, too. Got to give him a lot of credit. Guy’s there, week in and week out and he’s playing at a high level. It’s impressive.”Rivers’s appreciation level would rise if he could find his way to a Super Bowl. Stafford and the Lions would like to put a bump in that road by beating the Chargers in Detroit this Sunday.
