The Los Angeles Chargers haven’t needed to rely too much on their run game during their first two games L.J. Collier Jersey , but that might change on Sunday against the unbeaten Rams.The Chargers (1-1) have called runs on 37.5 percent of their plays the first two weeks, which is the fifth-lowest percentage in the AFC. Despite that, they are averaging 116 yards, which is above the league average of 104 yards.In other words, Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler aren’t getting a lot of carries, but they are making the most of their plays.“They’ve been very effective,” offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. “It’s been a tremendous help for us because it opens up other things like play action.”Gordon has only 24 carries, which is his lowest total for the first two games in his four-year career, but he is tied for the team lead in receptions with 15. Gordon had the second three-touchdown game of his career in last week’s 31-20 win at Buffalo Johnathan Abram Jersey , with two TDs coming on catches. He’s also gained over 100 yards from scrimmage in six of his last eight games dating to last season.While the quarterback matchup between the Chargers’ Philip Rivers and the Rams’ Jared Goff is attracting plenty of attention, the running back battle between Gordon and Todd Gurley is tantalizing as well. Both were drafted in the first round in 2015, with Gurley having the advantage so far. He led the league in yards from scrimmage last season with 2,093 while Gordon was fifth (1,581).“We compete. It’s not like we hate each other. We both want to prove we are the best back and it happens that we compete in the same city,” Gordon said.Ekeler had a career-high 77 yards on 11 carries in last week’s win at Buffalo. Three of his longest carries came on runs off the left side.Whisenhunt continues to find different ways to use the second-year back. In the opener against Kansas City, Ekeler caught a 13-yard touchdown while last week he was getting most of the carries.“They are starting to use both of us in different ways and it has been working,” Ekeler said. “It’s going to be important again this week because they have a real solid front five. If we can get the run game going early that can help us in play action.”The Chargers have a lot of experience facing a Wade Phillips defense. They faced Phillips twice a year when he was with Denver in 2015-16.The Rams have one of the best interior pass rushes in the league with Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald at the tackles. They also have gone 12 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher.One of the best matchups could be center Mike Pouncey going up against Suh. The two went up against each other often during practices in Miami the past three seasons.“That’s going to make things a lot easier for me and a lot of other guys,” Gordon said of Pouncey. “You have a bully like that up front that ain’t scared to back down Maxx Crosby Jersey , that gets them other guys going.”Pouncey, who is in his first season in Los Angeles after seven seasons in Miami, said getting the run game going early is going to be vitally important this week.“Any time you can run the ball it keeps us on schedule,” he said. “We have been over 100 yards in each game, which is something to build off of.”___Follow Joe Reedy at www.twitter.com/joereedy___ The Buffalo Bills are going with newly signed journeyman Matt Barkley as their starting quarterback, rather than provide turnover-prone Nathan Peterman another chance.The Bills ruled out injured rookie Josh Allen on Saturday and announced Barkley is expected to start against the New York Jets on Sunday. Barkley gets the nod ahead of Peterman despite having just two weeks of practice experience since signing Oct. 30.Barkley will become the fourth quarterback to start for the team this season, and third in three weeks. It will be his first start in two years since going 1-5 with the Chicago Bears in 2016.Allen will miss his fourth straight game since spraining his right throwing elbow in a 20-13 loss at Houston on Oct. 14. The first-round pick practiced on a limited basis this week and will get additional time to recuperate with Buffalo entering its bye week after playing the Jets.Veteran backup Derek Anderson had already been ruled out with a concussion.The Bills also announced starting rookie middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has been cleared to play after missing one game with a concussion. They also promoted receiver Robert Foster from the practice squad and released linebacker Ramon Humber.Buffalo (2-7) has lost four straight and is off to its worst start since losing eight of its first nine games in 2010.The game between the two AFC East teams will feature a matchup of backups rather than first-round picks.The Jets (3-6) are starting 39-year-old Josh McCown with rookie Sam Darnold sidelined by a strained right foot. Darnold was drafted third overall, four spots ahead of Allen.Barkley is on his sixth team in six seasons since being selected by Philadelphia in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He was most recently in Cincinnati before being cut by the Bengals in September after hurting his knee in a preseason game.“It hasn’t maybe been the plan I signed up for when I thought of going to the NFL,” Barkley said of his pro career Foster Moreau Jersey , which came after he set numerous school records as a four-year starter at Southern California. “But from what I’ve been able to learn along the way, I think I’m in a great spot right now.”Overall, Barkley has gone 159 for 266 for 1,911 yards passing with eight touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 11 NFL appearances.That’s much better than Peterman’s production since being selected in the fifth round of the 2017 draft.Peterman has thrown seven interceptions in four appearances this season, including three in a 41-9 loss to Chicago last weekend. Overall, he’s thrown 12 interceptions in eight appearances and is best remembered for getting picked off five times in the first half of a 54-24 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers a year ago.The Bills offense has struggled no matter who’s started this season.Buffalo has scored a league-worst 96 points and just two touchdowns in its past four games. The quarterbacks have combined for just three touchdowns passing and 16 interceptions, including five by Allen.