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Are Todd Gurley's struggles a sophomore slump, or a troubling omen for the Rams?
Rams running back Todd Gurley, center, has found tough going all season, including on this play as he is stopped by Falcons middle linebacker Deion Jones and cornerback Jalen Collins. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER
THOUSAND OAKS – His emotions trickled out, then broke wide open.
On the night of Dec. 11, after weeks of quiet discontent, Todd Gurley finally let loose. He described the Rams as having “a middle-school offense.” He questioned his teammates’ effort. And when a reporter asked how the team might fix things moving forward, the running back replied: “I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really don’t know.”
This Friday, two days before his team’s season finale against the Cardinals, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year acknowledged his frustrations.
“But if you’re not getting frustrated,” Gurley added, “then I don’t think you have the passion for the game.”
With no playoff hopes and no full-time head coach, there is little at stake for the Rams (4-11) on Sunday at the Coliseum.
For Gurley, however, there is at least personal pride. Mired in an ugly sophomore slump, the 22-year-old needs 155 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Nearly 450 days have passed since he last rushed for that many in a single game. He has yet to top 85 yards this year.
The fear for Rams’ fans – and of course, for the organization itself – is that this is the new normal.
After recovering from a torn ACL, Gurley grabbed the NFL by the collar and essentially screamed, “Here I am.” In his first four starts, the former Georgia star ran for 566 yards, the most prolific debut since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
Those four games, however, now account for 29 percent of his career rushing yards.
“He comes in and he’s off to a roaring start,” Rams general manager Les Snead said recently. “And he’s just roaring, and roaring, and roaring.
“And I think what occurred is, defensive coordinators saying, ‘Wait a minute. That guy right there is … We’ve got to stop him.’ Bam. And they went to stopping him. And I think where we’re at now is, teams came into this year doing the same thing.”
Gurley has rushed for just 845 yards in 2016, well short of his 2015 total of 1,106 despite starting three more games. His yards per carry have dropped from 4.8 to 3.2. And after leading the league with 14 runs of at least 20 yards, he has managed just two this season: a 24-yard score against the Dolphins, and a 22-yard run against the Seahawks.
Since Gurley was born on Aug. 3, 1994, the Associated Press has voted 11 other running backs as the league’s top offensive rookie.
Of those, only four saw their rushing yards drop from Year 1 to Year 2. Two went on to have fine careers: Marshall Faulk, a Hall of Famer and two-time MVP, Curtis Martin, a five-time Pro Bowler. The two others were Mike Anderson, a former Marine who entered the league at 26 years old, and Cadillac Williams, whose career was derailed by injuries.
Which path Gurley takes is unclear. Jared Goff could make a dramatic leap after a full offseason as the Rams’ first-string quarterback, which could open up more room for the running back in 2017. The Rams could acquire more offensive pieces, or effectively develop 2016 draft picks such as tight end Tyler Higbee and receiver Pharoh Cooper. A new coaching staff could shake things up for the better.
Gurley seems to be taking it all in stride. He said Friday that he’s gotten better on not judging himself against the past, and focusing more on the present and the future.
“Everybody’s not going to have eight good years in a row, unless you’re ... ”
He paused to think.
“I don’t know, I can’t name anybody. Tom Brady. But every year is not going to be the year.”
In a conference call with Arizona reporters this week, Rams interim coach John Fassel acknowledged that Gurley has “struggled to maintain” his confidence, but expressed faith in the running back’s resilience. On Friday at Cal Lutheran, he echoed that sense of optimism, spinning Gurley’s 2016 season as something that could make him better in the long run.
“I think, in a real twisted way, it’s really good for a coach or a player that’s been successful to have to go through a tough time,” Fassel said, “and kind of see really what they’re made of and see how they respond to either the critique, or lack of production from what they’re used to. ...
“I think he’s handled it really well, and I think it’ll be good for him going forward to go into the offseason with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and a little extra hunger.”
[www.ocregister.com]
Rams running back Todd Gurley, center, has found tough going all season, including on this play as he is stopped by Falcons middle linebacker Deion Jones and cornerback Jalen Collins. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER
THOUSAND OAKS – His emotions trickled out, then broke wide open.
On the night of Dec. 11, after weeks of quiet discontent, Todd Gurley finally let loose. He described the Rams as having “a middle-school offense.” He questioned his teammates’ effort. And when a reporter asked how the team might fix things moving forward, the running back replied: “I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really don’t know.”
This Friday, two days before his team’s season finale against the Cardinals, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year acknowledged his frustrations.
“But if you’re not getting frustrated,” Gurley added, “then I don’t think you have the passion for the game.”
With no playoff hopes and no full-time head coach, there is little at stake for the Rams (4-11) on Sunday at the Coliseum.
For Gurley, however, there is at least personal pride. Mired in an ugly sophomore slump, the 22-year-old needs 155 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Nearly 450 days have passed since he last rushed for that many in a single game. He has yet to top 85 yards this year.
The fear for Rams’ fans – and of course, for the organization itself – is that this is the new normal.
After recovering from a torn ACL, Gurley grabbed the NFL by the collar and essentially screamed, “Here I am.” In his first four starts, the former Georgia star ran for 566 yards, the most prolific debut since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
Those four games, however, now account for 29 percent of his career rushing yards.
“He comes in and he’s off to a roaring start,” Rams general manager Les Snead said recently. “And he’s just roaring, and roaring, and roaring.
“And I think what occurred is, defensive coordinators saying, ‘Wait a minute. That guy right there is … We’ve got to stop him.’ Bam. And they went to stopping him. And I think where we’re at now is, teams came into this year doing the same thing.”
Gurley has rushed for just 845 yards in 2016, well short of his 2015 total of 1,106 despite starting three more games. His yards per carry have dropped from 4.8 to 3.2. And after leading the league with 14 runs of at least 20 yards, he has managed just two this season: a 24-yard score against the Dolphins, and a 22-yard run against the Seahawks.
Since Gurley was born on Aug. 3, 1994, the Associated Press has voted 11 other running backs as the league’s top offensive rookie.
Of those, only four saw their rushing yards drop from Year 1 to Year 2. Two went on to have fine careers: Marshall Faulk, a Hall of Famer and two-time MVP, Curtis Martin, a five-time Pro Bowler. The two others were Mike Anderson, a former Marine who entered the league at 26 years old, and Cadillac Williams, whose career was derailed by injuries.
Which path Gurley takes is unclear. Jared Goff could make a dramatic leap after a full offseason as the Rams’ first-string quarterback, which could open up more room for the running back in 2017. The Rams could acquire more offensive pieces, or effectively develop 2016 draft picks such as tight end Tyler Higbee and receiver Pharoh Cooper. A new coaching staff could shake things up for the better.
Gurley seems to be taking it all in stride. He said Friday that he’s gotten better on not judging himself against the past, and focusing more on the present and the future.
“Everybody’s not going to have eight good years in a row, unless you’re ... ”
He paused to think.
“I don’t know, I can’t name anybody. Tom Brady. But every year is not going to be the year.”
In a conference call with Arizona reporters this week, Rams interim coach John Fassel acknowledged that Gurley has “struggled to maintain” his confidence, but expressed faith in the running back’s resilience. On Friday at Cal Lutheran, he echoed that sense of optimism, spinning Gurley’s 2016 season as something that could make him better in the long run.
“I think, in a real twisted way, it’s really good for a coach or a player that’s been successful to have to go through a tough time,” Fassel said, “and kind of see really what they’re made of and see how they respond to either the critique, or lack of production from what they’re used to. ...
“I think he’s handled it really well, and I think it’ll be good for him going forward to go into the offseason with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and a little extra hunger.”
[www.ocregister.com]
