What Los Angeles Rams Are Saying About Todd Gurley's Struggles
Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley has struggled to get anything going this season, a problem that dates back to his rookie campaign. For whatever reason you want to chalk it up to, things don’t appear to be getting better for the second-year player.
Gurley has yet to break 100 rushing yards in any game this season and hasn’t done so in 14 of his last 15 contests going back to 2015. The biggest reasons for his struggles have to do with poor offensive line play and the Rams’ inability to stretch the field in order to keep defenses honest.
It’s not a Todd Gurley Problem
Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Head coach Jeff Fisher offered his thoughts on Gurley’s pedestrian season, saying he doesn’t blame the former No. 10 overall pick for a ground game that ranks 29th in the NFL, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com:
“It’s not a Gurley thing. I think it’s more of a team thing, and then it’s an opponent issue, too, because they’re stopping it, they’re loading up. We need to get it going. It’s November, and we need to get it going.”
The reason teams are “loading up” is because the Rams and quarterback Case Keenum aren’t a threat to beat anyone deep. Much like the Carolina Panthers will try to do in Week 9, teams are stuffing Gurley with extra men in the box and it has worked to perfection.
Gurley is taking his disappointing season in stride and suggests he’s improving in the passing game as a result, according to Gonzalez:
“I think not being able to get things going in the running game, I improved a lot in the passing game,” Gurley said on a conference call with Panthers reporters ahead of Sunday’s visit from Carolina. “… Just staying patient and trusting the process. You’ve got to keep working hard even though something’s not going. Hard work doesn’t always pay off at the right time, but you still have to trust the process and keep going.”
On the bright side, Gurley is seeing improved numbers as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. He has 168 receiving yards through seven games and is just 20 shy of matching his 2015 total of 188 in 13 games. Gurley is averaging 24 receiving yards per contest, as opposed to the 14.5 he averaged last season.
A Return to Todd Gurley?
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
While Gurley’s receptions are up, his carries are down. In his last two games, Gurley has averaged 14.5 carries, a far cry from the 21 per contest he had in the first five games. This offense was supposed to be built around Gurley’s ability to run the ball, but the Rams have failed miserably in that department.
Offensive coordinator Rob Boras was as surprised as we all were to see the amount of carries Gurley got after the team’s loss to the New York Giants in London:
“I was as surprised as anybody when I saw the stat sheet at the end,” said offensive coordinator Rob Boras, alluding to the fact that the Rams threw on 15 of their 20 first-down conversions during their 17-10 loss to the New York Giants from London. “… That’s not the way it was designed to play. Obviously, we want to run the ball.”
Los Angeles can’t survive depending on Keenum to get them that many first downs and throw 53 passes every game. Gurley has got to be the grinder that keeps the chains moving and the ball in the hands of his team’s offense.
The Rams’ intentions with Gurley are good, however it’s all moot if the team can’t execute on the offensive line and in the passing game. Until things improve in those two areas, the ineptitude of the rushing attack will continue no matter how many times the Rams run Gurley.
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