Todd Gurley Could Save the St Louis Rams Season

By Nic Moody | Oct 12, 2015

Todd Gurley can do it all, but can he save the Rams season and give them playoff hopes?

When Todd Gurley was drafted tenth overall by the St Louis Rams, there was an immediate love and hate relationship the Rams fan base had with him. On one hand, most fans knew he was a great talent, and most likely had seen him run at Georgia. On the other hand, Gurley was coming off an ACL tear and the Rams already had decent depth at the running back position.

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Gurley came into Rams camp swinging. He did one on one drills for awhile, then eventually would be getting first team reps with the offense right before the season began. Gurley would miss the first two games before getting his feet wet in week three against the Steelers. Gurley only rushed six times in that game, so there was not much to go on for perspective.

Oct 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) leaps over Green Bay Packers safety Micah Hyde (33) during the third quarter at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Then Todd Gurley unloaded in week four at Arizona, getting 19 carries and 146 yards on the ground. Gurley kept the show going yesterday when he rushed 30 times for 159 yards. Gurley continues to impress every time he gets the ball handed to him. Gurley is averaging well over five yards a carry so far, and has over 300 yards rushing with no touchdowns.

Gurley’s tools show he is a player that can help the entire offense from side to side.

Todd Gurley shows the skills to be one of the best. Gurley fought off Julius Peppers of the Green Bay Packers yesterday for yards after contact, something that most other backs would not be able to accomplish. Gurley makes decisions instantly, and 9/10 times it’s the correct one. Gurley has such wonderful agility for being the size he is, making him dangerous in open space. Gurley already has multiple runs of 20 plus yards in just two games this season.

Todd Gurley has the ability to run and open up the passing game for the offense. I would love to see how the offense performs against a lesser team. (The Rams have played two undefeated teams the last two weeks) Todd Gurley can block very well in pass protection, showing that ability yesterday when he threw Packers linebacker Clay Mathews to the ground on a blitz. Gurley’s tools show he is a player that can help the entire offense from side to side.

If Todd Gurley continues to perform at a high level, the rest of the Rams offense will continue to grow. The receivers can get more in sync, learn not to drop passes, (hopefully) and can figure out what they do best and what they do worst to improve the overall performance. Gurley is the constant in this experiment however, as his 100+ yards a game will likely be mandatory, but it will allow the passing game to grow throughout the season.

The Rams are a passing game away from a championship. The defense has proved its worth time and time again, and if the offense could just catch up a little, this team has high playoff ability. Gurley could just be the stepping stone for the offense to achieve that goal. The Rams need to give the ball to Todd Gurley as much as possible until the rest of the offense figures it out.

The Rams take on the Cleveland Browns in two weeks. The Browns are ranked 31st in rushing defense allowing just under 150 yards a game. Could Todd Gurley possibly hit the 200 mark? It isn’t likely, but he will more than likely rush for his third consecutive 100 yard game.

Next: St Louis Rams Fall to Packers 24-10

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