Gurley wants to think outside the box
Todd Gurley lined up in the backfield, looked across the line of scrimmage and saw a crowd. A large one. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks stacked defenders to stop the second-year running back. Only the allowable 11 defensive players were on the other side of the ball, but it seemed like more.
“It’s been crazy,” Gurley said Friday. “I’m like, ‘There’s 12 people on the field!’ It’s definitely a lot of people.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to employ a similar strategy Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
The Rams are 1-1 and tied for first place in the NFC West, but they have yet to spring Gurley for a long run that was a staple of his performance last season, when he was voted the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year.
Gurley has rushed for 98 yards in two games. His longest run went for 11 yards, and he is averaging only 2.7 yards a carry.
Not coincidentally, the Rams are the only NFL team that has not scored a touchdown.
Gurley lamented opponents’ strategy to stop him but said there was an upside.
“Sometimes that’s a good thing because if you get past that first level, then you’re gone,” he said. “But you have to get past that first level first.”
Last season, Gurley rushed for only 48 yards in 21 carries in a 31-23 victory over the Buccaneers. But it was a memorable performance that included a milestone.
Gurley scored on a threeyard touchdown run that put him exactly at 1,000 yards.
He finished the season with 1,106 yards, and joined Eric Dickerson and Jerome Bettis as the only Rams rookies to rush for 1,000 yards.
“That was a pretty good night for us,” he said of the victory over Tampa Bay, “and the offense was actually rolling.”
The Rams had a good night but still finished the season ranked last in the NFL in offense.
That’s where the Rams are again this season after a 28-0 defeat by the 49ers and a 9-3 victory over the Seahawks.
So getting Gurley on track remains a priority.
“It takes 11 guys to protect the quarterback, it takes 11 guys to be able to run the football,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said. “It’s just like anything, when things aren’t going well in business or in football, it’s not always the same guy.”
Veteran guard Rodger Saffold said it should come as no surprise that defensive coordinators with a season’s worth of film to study have devised ways to try to stop Gurley.
The situation is reminiscent of what former Rams running back Steven Jackson encountered, Saffold said. Jackson was a 1,000yard rusher every season from 2005 to 2012.
“He kind of knew, ‘With so many people inside, I’ve got to bounce’ and he’d break a tackle and get 12 or 15 yards,” said Saffold, who played with Jackson for three seasons. “[Gurley] has the same ability, but we have to make sure … when he makes that first guy miss, we don’t have two or three more guys coming after him.”
Gurley did not play in the first two games last season, got a few carries in his debut and then produced the first of four consecutive 100-yard games.
“Here’s Game 3,” Saffold said of Sunday’s matchup. “He’s just going to continue to get better. We just have to take care of him.”
Other offensive linemen indicated that it was only a matter of time before Gurley breaks free.
“We just have to do our jobs,” guard Cody Wichmann said, adding, “Once we start clicking, all 11 of us together, that’s when Todd’s going to break long plays.”
The Rams are “real close” to making that happen, left tackle Greg Robinson said.
“It’s just little things,” he said. “If we get on those linebackers and get Todd one-on-one with those safeties it will be interesting.”
Gurley no doubt would welcome the opportunity.
But first he needs to get through the crowd at the line of scrimmage.
“We know what they’re going to do,” he said of opponents. “They’re definitely going to stack the box. … It all comes down to executing.”
Quick hits
The Rams waived cornerback Steve Williams and promoted defensive back Isaiah Johnson from the practice squad…. The Rams practiced Friday and then departed for Tampa.