(poll)What is the reason behind Gurley struggles?

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What is the reason behind Gurley struggles?

  • Defenses Solved Gurley

    Votes: 9 17.6%
  • O-Line is holding him back

    Votes: 34 66.7%
  • Likely injured/conditioning issues

    Votes: 8 15.7%

  • Total voters
    51

MountainRam

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Nov 8, 2015
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One 100 yard game in last 14 starts.

Superstars have droughts but this is starting to unnerve me. what are you guys thinking?

*** I understand this is a kind of forbidden topic to discuss Gurely and that's why I started a poll
 

Elmgrovegnome

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None of the above. I think it is scheme. He did best with a zone blocking scheme. Just like Dickerson, find a seam, one cut and hit the jets. That is the type of runner he is. He isn't a sideways runner who makes crazy cuts on the very run. He is a North/south type. Damarco Murray was great with that style in Dallas but he had a hole to hit. The current scheme, or maybe oline isn't creating enough space
 

Rmfnlt

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Yup... blocking and the lack of a consistent passing attack that opponents respect.
 

fearsomefour

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I think losing weight and everything that means for a guy playing a power position is major.
He also seems to miss holes sometimes. The O line has been far from great but to my eyes Gurley is average right now. Elite backs don't get taken down by the first tackler nearly every time.
I bet Brown because of his style would put up better numbers that Gurley is.
Also, Gurley had not hit 20 carries in either of the last two games. The Rams are going away from it.
 

Ramlock

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New QB
New OC
New Passing Game Coordinator (who has had a positive impact IMO)
OL learning the new schemes
Gurley learning new scheme and limited pre-season carries

I don't have any way to prove it but I think that a lot of time and reps were spent on the passing game in OTA and camp.
Assuming that Gurley would not need extra reps and that they would be in synch with the changes. They're not quite there yet.

But the passing game is better in terms of catches and yards.
 

DaveFan'51

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One 100 yard game in last 14 starts.

Superstars have droughts but this is starting to unnerve me. what are you guys thinking?

*** I understand this is a kind of forbidden topic to discuss Gurely and that's why I started a poll
I believe it's mostly the O-Lines fault, BUT Fisher should have never Babied him thru OTA's and TC!!
 

Ellard80

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I really don't think any of the answers are exactly it.

It's a combination of poor blocking and Gurley having poor vision.

The line is playing poorly at times.. and at other times Gurley is running with his head down and without vision or confidence.
 

bluecoconuts

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Unexpired easily predictable offense, poor blocking, lack of respect for the QB position by opposing defenses.
 

blackbart

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Play calling, O line not doing the job, too many outside distractions
 

99Balloons

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G
1. Poor O-Line that's consistently getting pushed back and over-powered. Paul Boudreau kept moving guys in and out of position and there was no continuity with the OL chemistry.

2. Boras predictable play-calling for running right between Wichmann and Havenstein won't do it.

3. Keenum taking his time walking up to the line and running down the clock by letting the defense reset their alignment ready to blow up the run-play.

4. Defense always know a run play is coming and they're blitzing and crowding the line, ready to stuff Gurley.
 

thirteen28

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None of the above. I think it is scheme. He did best with a zone blocking scheme. Just like Dickerson, find a seam, one cut and hit the jets. That is the type of runner he is. He isn't a sideways runner who makes crazy cuts on the very run. He is a North/south type. Damarco Murray was great with that style in Dallas but he had a hole to hit. The current scheme, or maybe oline isn't creating enough space

I agree it's scheme with the OL, but correct me if I'm wrong - I thought they WERE using a zone blocking scheme.

Part of the problem I see is that a lot of the times our OLinemen look like they don't know who they are supposed to block. They are not simply lining up and knocking the snot out of the guy in front of them.

There's more that I would say, but @Fatbot said it perfectly in another thread, and I'm going to copy his post here:

Watching the OL at times is just inexplicable and I think it has to come down to scheme. Our slug refrigerators with legs are simply awful at the lateral movement required in zone blocking. Almost every play requires horizontal steps to reach a guy in the playside gap, and every time there's one or more OL that can't catch up to the guy he's supposed to block so there's constant penetration into gaps by unblocked people.

The answer should be combo blocks but the Rams don't seem to want to do ANY double teams, blocking back or help for guys who are simply too slow and can't reach their assignment. They also don't do any backside cutting, they don't flip their block when beat to at least stay locked up even if beat playside, or any of the zone blocking tricks... This is happening due to either a coaching decree, or they are just so dumb they can't pick up the communication and the nuances of the zone blocking scheme.

I get why use zone -- the NFL offseason has become such a joke that there's no time to install and rep traditional blocking schemes against so many complicated fronts, zone blocking is supposed to be an easy "one size fits all" solution. But now that it's become the majority of the league, you can't just get away with thinking you can trot it out there without doing it well with personnel suited for it and drilled in the technique.

Finally yesterday we saw the toss sweep make a come back. The TE actually blocked down to get an easy outside seal block at the point of attack (gasp!), the playside tackle pulled around and pancaked people. Beautiful and it worked nicely for 6 yard chunks.

What I would like to see in the bye week is the Rams coaching realizing our base split zone run based on the theory of moving the play laterally and creating cut up lanes isn't working for this bunch. Instead, mix in some traditional gap blocking to let these guys block back for a change. And don't be afraid to double team -- heck if one guy isn't blocked we pay Gurley to beat one v. ones -- he just can't beat the 1 v. 5 unblocked we're getting now.

Put our big bodies on their bodies and create holes the traditional hat on hat way by being bigger & stronger and driving the hell out of people, because our OL certainly isn't quicker than any DL. Being married to how the zone blocking is "supposed to be done" ain't working, it's time for these paid coaches to come up with solutions.

Last word is that scheme isn't everything. There's just some awful lack of effort and bewildering whiffs going on that make no sense that are squarely the fault of the individual OL. But a lot stems from scheme because when you know who to hit with 100% confidence and have belief you can execute that block, that can breed success to build on that carries down to the individual skill & effort level. I could be wrong and it could simply be these guys lack talent, but I would like to see some changes at the top first before completely give up on the players.
 

Ramstien

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This is exactly what happened on the last play before the half against the Lions. The RG pulls to block the LDE and 3 defenders penetrate the middle of the line to stop Gurley in his tracks at the one foot line. I got so mad I stopped watching the game at that point.
 

Ellard80

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I saw a few plays in the Giants game where there were 8-9 mean literally hugging the line of scrimmage yet Keenum handed off right into it for zero to negative yards.

That said though... Gurley is also missing holes when they are there.
 

TexasRam

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Originally Gurley's struggle was 100% box stacking.

Then we had a shootout with the lions. Vertical passing is more common.

Now I think his running style has been affected by all the non holes he has faced. He is probably a little banged up as well.

Takes a while to gain confidence to run full speed through a hole, when you been hitting constant walls.
 

LACHAMP46

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While the last two games have been encouraging..the lack of explosive running plays

always several causes..

blocking/scheme
play calls
Gurley's vision

Carl's cheeseburger curse...did he at least bang a model?

I hate when RB's lose a whole bunch of weight....
 

Dan Poplawski

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Dan Poplawski
The problem I see is that Boras has Gurley running straight into the line. Give him some outside runs, delay some runs until after the lines have tackled themselves into the ground.
For God's sake be creative.
 

-X-

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The problem I see is that Boras has Gurley running straight into the line. Give him some outside runs, delay some runs until after the lines have tackled themselves into the ground.
For God's sake be creative.
I think they're mixing it up pretty well. Granted, the bulk of his carries are in the middle, but they are trying other things too.

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F. Mulder

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Jul 31, 2010
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773
He looks slower to hit the hole this year, he is not making the first person miss and he seems to be lacking the patience he had last year. He hasn't had a ton to run through but there have been times when things have been there or an elite back could turn it into a home run and he just isn't making it happen. What I don't want is for him to have his break out game-or series of games- when the season is long dead and gone. It would be nice for him to kind of be the one who won a game in the next few weeks after the bye.