The Rams Have a Big-Time Closer in Todd Gurley

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RamBill

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The Rams Have a Big-Time Closer in Todd Gurley
Posted by: Bernie Miklasz

http://www.101sports.com/2015/10/25/the-rams-have-a-closer-in-todd-gurley/

Move over, Trevor Rosenthal.

Make a little room, will ya?

There’s another closer in town, but he doesn’t pitch for the Cardinals or play baseball.

His name is Todd Gurley, the rookie running back chosen 10th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft who just may be the finisher that coach Jeff Fisher needs put opponents away after they’ve been roughed up by the Rams defense and softened by Gurley’s combination power/speed running

Before I continue, here are the obligatory warnings and caveats:

First, Gurley has started three games in his NFL career. Small sample size? No. It’s a speck of a sample.

Next, it doesn’t matter how many yards Gurley romps for on the ground; the Rams won’t win many games unless the defense plays a substantial role in swarming and smothering opponents.

Finally, Gurley can’t do it alone. The Rams’ snoozer of a passing attack had better awaken, and soon, or opposing defenses will do everything but put the National Guard on the field to control Gurley. Running backs that have to win games on solo missions won’t last long. They’ll eventually absorb debilitating beatings, and their batteries will wear out.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way …

Gurley is something else. As I wrote late last week, Gurley is the Rams’ most exciting offensive talent since Marshall Faulk started his last game for the franchise on New Year’s Day, 2006. (The final game of the 2005 season.) I’m not saying Gurley is Faulk, or that Gurley will be a Hall of Famer, or even a one-time All-Pro selection. The rookie back came to the Rams with a surgically mended ACL, and he’ll have to prove he can last.

Gurley cleared another hurdle Sunday, and we’re not talking about his sensational leap over a diving Cleveland tackler to pick up extra yards in one of his most enthralling runs of the day. Gurley played for the first time without a knee brace, and it enhanced his flexibility and probably gave him some extra giddy-up. But this is a tough league that punishes running backs — especially backs that become a fixation for NFL defensive coordinators.

But when Gurley has the football in his hands he makes us sit up, lean forward, or stand in anticipation of watching an instant thrill. And the Rams haven’t had a player like that since Faulk.

Gurley has gone for 146, 159 and 128 yards rushing in his first three NFL starts.

In the first three games of 2015 the Rams were jammed and rushed for 214 yards.

With Gurley as the starter for the next three games, they’ve motored for 513 yards rushing.

Finally: entertainment.

You could say Gurley is an upgrade at the position.

Gurley was the Rams offense in Sunday’s 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns at The Ed. He rushed 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He caught four passes for 35 yards. He accounted for 53 percent of the Rams’ total 308 yards in a game controlled by the Rams defense.

We’ll give the Rams’ defense credit for this one. Gregg Williams’ menacing defenders let Cleveland breathe for only two field goals. They recovered four fumbles — one returned by safety Rodney McLeod for an early touchdown and quickie 7-0 lead, and two others that were cashed in for 10 points.

Browns quarterback Josh McCown was dragged down for four sacks smacked around on many other occasions, and eventually suffered a knockout; McCown had to retreat to the locker room for treatment late in the fourth quarter..

The Rams defense was the boss on Sunday, and that’s why they get the “W.”

But like any good closer, Gurley protected the lead.

Gurley’s gloss prevented his team’s sluggish offense from rolling into the ditch. With Gurley moving moving forward and running through and around tacklers, the Rams can at least go in the right direction (well, most of the time) and reduce the possibility of killer turnovers.

Other than a 41-yard strike from quarterback Nick Foles to WR Kenny Britt that set up Gurley’s first touchdown run of the game — and his NFL career — the Rams’ somnambulant air game hissed for 122 yards on 22 passing attempts. Gurley’s second TD was a beauty: a 16-yard trail of broken and missed tackles to boost the Rams’ leas to 24-6 and put the Browns into submission.

How important is Gurley to the Rams offense?

In his three starts Gurley has 433 yards rushing, and his 485 yards from scrimmage represents exactly 50 percent of the Rams’ net yardage (970) over the three games.

The Rams still have many problems to clean up, but there’s no doubt they’re a better team with Gurley in the house.

“Just an animal, really,” Foles said of Gurley after Sunday’s win. “The guy’s an extremely, talented, hard-worker. His vision, when he runs — like I’ve said before — just watching him run, he’s special. There’s not many people that can run like that, that have ever played this game. So, he’s a young guy that keeps working hard. So, the sky’s the limit to what he can do throughout his career.”

At the outset we’ve seen a pattern. Opponents come out and are determined to stop Gurley from doing damage. The plan succeeds for a while, but Gurley doesn’t back down. He revs up. And as the game grinds on, Gurley and the Rams’ run blockers begin winning the battle.

The Browns had to be reasonably satisfied after containing Gurley to 45 yards rushing in the first half.

Then, in the third quarter, Gurley escaped for a 48-yard run that put Cleveland’s game plan in the shredder.

When asked how he believed his defense did in the mission to contain Gurley, Browns coach Mike Pettine said:

“Hot and cold. That is easy to say except for the (48-yarder), but that is what he does. The two big games that he has had, he had four or five chunk runs that accumulated for about half of the yards he had. I felt at times we did a good job and other times we didn’t. You can tell he is a back and he can make you miss, jump over you. He is patient and he knows when to slow down and he is good with his change of pace. We battled for a while, but unfortunately we weren’t good enough.”

Here are Gurley’s rushing totals, broken down by quarter, in his first three starts:

First Quarter: 12 rushes for 16 yards … 1.3 yards per carry … 3 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 3 times for minus 10 yards.

Second Quarter: 18 rushes for 95 yards … 5.3 yards per carry … 4 runs of 10+ yards … stuffed 2 times for minus 5 yards.

Third Quarter: 17 rushes for 112 yards … 6.6 yards per carry and one TD … 3 runs of 10+ yards… 2 stuffs for minus 7 yards.

Fourth Quarter: 21 rushes for 210 yards … 10.0 yards per carry, one TD … 6 runs of 10+ yards … 1 stuff for minus 4 yards.

The Rams, 3-3 overall, are 2-1 with Gurley as the starter with wins over Arizona and Cleveland. Given that Gurley rushed for 159 yards in Green Bay, the loss at Lambeau was hardly his fault. Four interceptions by Foles — two from inside the Green Bay’s 10-yard line — ruined the chance of an upset.

In the two victories Gurley has averaged a preposterous 9.1 yards on 25 second-half rushing attempts with two TDs and nine first downs. In the fourth quarter of the two wins, Gurley has averaged 8.8 yards on 16 carries with a TD and five first downs.

Gurley won’t sustain those extreme stats; impossible. But Gurley closed strong in games during his college career at Georgia, and he’s closing strong in his early weeks with the Rams. And is Gurley’s finishing ability is something the Rams can reasonably count on — even at lesser numbers — then this is another reason why he’s such a good fit for Fisher’s established formula for winning games.

You don’t have to like Fisher’s style of football on offense, and I don’t have to like Fisher’s style of football on offense. So this is not an endorsement of the coach’s beloved system. But Fisher is determined to do things his way, and by now it’s obvious he won’t change. So bang your head all that you want; this is the way it will be.

Accordingly: as long as Fisher is this team’s head coach, it’s absolutely imperative for him to have a back like Gurley to use as a cudgel on the defense later in games when the Rams open a lead.

(Or as I wrote the other day: Eddie George v. 2.0.)

NFL teams traditionally win a high percentage of their games when they lead after three quarters. Getting the lead obviously has been an issue for the Rams since Fisher became coach in 2012. But when they do have an advantage after three quarters, the Rams have done done smashingly well.

As coach of the Oilers/Titans, Fisher was 113-14 when his team led at the start of the fourth quarter.

With the Rams, Fisher is 17-2-1 when up after three quarters.

That includes a 2-0 record with Gurley, the new closer in town.

Thanks for reading …

–Bernie
 

RamBill

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Rams fans find their hero in Gurley
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_22697816-0f65-57df-bbba-6d3f949f5093.html

Beleaguered on many fronts, starved for success, Rams fans suddenly have a hero to rally behind. His name is. ...

Gurley! Gurley! Gurley!

The chant was heard on several occasions during Sunday’s 24-6 Rams victory over the Cleveland Browns at the Edward Jones Dome.

Of course, Todd Gurley heard it, when he wasn’t busy rushing for 128 yards and his first two touchdowns as a pro, that is.

“Yeah, it was cool,” Gurley said modestly.

Gurley’s first home start as a St. Louis Ram was better than cool. He topped 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive start and just missed joining former Los Angeles Ram Eric Dickerson in becoming the second rookie in NFL history to rush for 140 yards-plus in three consecutive games.

For those scoring at home, that’s 433 yards rushing in Gurley’s first three NFL starts. Coach Jeff Fisher said he’s never had a back get off to such a quick start as a rookie.

“No, and I’ve been around some really good ones,” Fisher said. “Chris Johnson was outstanding early and Eddie George was outstanding early. I don’t recall them having the numbers after three full games like Todd has.”

Sunday’s numbers didn’t come easy, at least not at first. Coming to town ranked last in the league in run defense, Cleveland (2-5) was revved up to stop the rookie from Georgia. After three carries, Gurley had minus-2 yards rushing. He was dropped behind the line of scrimmage by the Browns on three of his first five attempts.

“Well, they’re stout up front,” Fisher said. “This is a big defensive front. So you saw early the tackles for losses, and the penetration. There always is an element of adjusting in your run game based on what they’re doing to your formations and things of that sort.”

As has been the case in all three Gurley starts, the Rams’ offense started slowly before gaining steam in the second half. How slow? How about 3 yards — that’s nine measly feet — in the first quarter?

But it didn’t matter on this Sunday because the St. Louis defense came out snarling. On quarterback Josh McCown’s first completion of the day, just three plays into Cleveland’s first offensive series, cornerback Janoris Jenkins jarred the ball loose from wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.

Quicker than you could say “Rodney McLeod,” the Rams’ free safety swooped in for a 20-yard scoop and score. It was McLeod’s first touchdown as an NFL player and it gave the Rams a 7-0 lead just 3 minutes into the game.

“I haven’t touched the end zone in a while, so it was a great feeling,” McLeod said. “Just to set the tone like that for the game, it was a big play.”

And then on Cleveland’s next possession, defensive end Williams Hayes dropped McCown with a sack and a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Akeem Ayers at the Cleveland 25. The Rams converted that takeaway into a Greg Zuerlein field goal, and just like that, it was 10-0 St. Louis midway through the first quarter.

Before all was said and done the Rams had four turnovers, all on forced fumbles. They sacked McCown four times and hit him on several other occasions, knocking him out of the game with a shoulder injury late in the fourth quarter.

“Obviously the turnovers were the difference in the game,” Fisher said.

Even so, Cleveland managed to hang around well into the third quarter. The Browns got on the board with a Travis Coons field goal early in the second quarter, on a 73-yard drive kept alive by back-to-back offside penalties on the Rams on third down.

The Rams left some points on the field in the opening half, ending one scoring chance when tight end Jared Cook lost a fumble at the Cleveland 15. Another chance ended in a missed 63-yard field goal attempt by Zuerlein in the closing seconds of the half when the Rams stalled after reaching the Cleveland 45.

“You could sense the level of frustration in the locker room at halftime — 10-3, we’re up by seven,” Fisher said. “I told ’em just to settle down and keep working at it and we’ll make some plays. Nobody try to do too much, eliminate the mistakes. Which we did.”

But not before Cleveland opened the second half with another field goal drive to make it 10-6. Zuerlein didn’t help matters when he missed a 35-yard attempt wide right with 8½ minutes to play in the third quarter. It was only the third miss of Zuerlein’s NFL career from 35 yards or closer.

Even though the score remained 10-6, the Rams always seemed to be in control of the game, thanks to their defense.

With the aid of some no-huddle — yes, no-huddle — the offense finally got going. Gurley had 83 of his 128 rushing yards in the final two quarters, scoring from 1 yard out late in the third quarter for a 17-6 lead and then from 16 yards out midway through the fourth to give the Rams their 24-6 cushion.

“Oh, it felt good to get my first two,” Gurley said. “Credit to the offensive line. Those guys did great all day. Hopefully, we can keep this thing rolling.”

He celebrated that first NFL touchdown, which came on an uncontested stroll around left end, with an emphatic spike. Did he save the football?

“I think it’s right here,” Gurley said to a mob of reporters, glancing back at his locker stall. “Unless one of you all got it. (Then) I’m gonna have to get it back.”

No return was necessary.

On the drive leading up to his second TD, the crowd could be heard chanting Gurley’s name as he converted a key third-and-1 play with a 3-yard gain to the Cleveland 23.

Four plays later, Gurley turned the lights out on Cleveland with a nifty cutback on a 16-yard run that started out wide right.

“That was an outside zone play,” Gurley said. “That was the first outside zone play we had run since the first quarter. I kind of saw the edge and the defenders flowing, and just cut it back.”

Back into the end zone, helping the Rams get back to .500 at 3-3 with struggling San Francisco (2-5) coming to town next week.

Strong defense and a strong running game mark the path to success for this team.

“Right,” said defensive tackle Michael Brockers. “The Fisher blueprint. And you see what we can do.”
 

RamBill

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Jim Thomas Can’t Remember A Rookie Like Todd Gurley

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch joined The Ryan Kelley Morning After on Monday to discuss the Rams’ Week 7 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Listen to JT Talks Rams



On Todd Gurley's performance:

JT: "This was the first game he took the knee brace off. I think it's a sign his knee is feeling better. That will help even more, though it's hard to imagine a running back having a better start. I can't recall one as a rookie. Cleveland was geared up too. They were pretty determined to make it a tough game for him. Thank goodness the Rams kept feeding him the ball. It just seems like it's a matter of time with him."
 

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Jeff Fisher calls Todd Gurley best back he's coached at early stage of career
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...est-back-hes-coached-at-early-stage-of-career

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher had some flashbacks to his Tennessee days during Sunday's 24-6 win against the Cleveland Browns.

As Fisher watched rookie running back Todd Gurley carve up the Browns to the tune of 128 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, Rams fans at the Edward Jones Dome showered Gurley with chants of "Gur-ley, Gur-ley." It was a familiar sound to Fisher's days coaching Titans running back Eddie George and made him reminisce about a former Rams running back who used to hear similar support.

“A little bit, yeah," Fisher said. "I would’ve liked to have been around to listen to the ‘Eric’ chant as well, the Eric Dickerson chant. It’s good. The fans were great today. They helped today with respect to their false starts and the penalties and things like that. I’m sure they enjoyed watching Todd run."

Fisher might as well have included himself in the Gurley Appreciation Fan Club. After Gurley's latest 100-plus yard outburst in which he brought his three-game total to 433 rushing yards, fourth most of any back in his first three starts since the 1970 merger, Fisher was asked if he's ever coached a running back who is so good, so soon.

“No, and I’ve been around some really good ones," Fisher said. "Chris Johnson was outstanding early. Eddie George was outstanding early. I don’t recall them having the numbers that they had after three full games like Todd has.”

Since we're on the topic, let's take a quick look and throw Dickerson in since Fisher mentioned him as well:
In his first three full games as the starter, Gurley has 433 rushing yards, two touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per carry.
While certainly impressive in his own right, Johnson had 327 rushing yards, one touchdown and averaged 5.5 yards per carry in his first three full games in 2008.
George had 267 rushing yards, one touchdown and averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his first three starts in 1996.
Dickerson had 254 rushing yards, four touchdowns and averaged 3.7 yards per carry in his first three games in 1983.

Of course, out of that quartet, only Gurley was coming off a torn left ACL when he did it. And while Gurley is still working his way back to full strength, Sunday's win against Cleveland was his first game without a brace protecting the knee.

After the game, Gurley said he noticed the difference between playing with the brace and without it.

"It definitely felt a lot better," Gurley said. "Usually I'll be on the side just messing with the straps and stuff like that, so it definitely felt a lot better today."

That Gurley, who already has impressed his coach more than such former running back luminaries like George, is only scratching the surface of what he can do is an ominous sign for defensive coordinators around the NFL.

“[He's] just an animal," quarterback Nick Foles said. "The guy’s an extremely talented, hard-worker. His vision, when he runs, like I’ve said before, just watching him run, he’s special. There’s not many people that can run like that, that have ever played this game. So, he’s a young guy that keeps working hard. So, the sky is the limit to what he can do throughout his career.”
 

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BenFred: Rams' defense becoming Gurley's biggest fan
• By Ben Frederickson

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_892772de-4b3b-52e1-a674-eba1c8af5e4d.html

Rarely is one name shouted in unison in the Edward Jones Dome.

It happened twice during the Rams' 24-6 win against Cleveland on Sunday.

Yes, one was an upper-deck jeer aimed at Rams owner and relocation proponent Stan Kroenke.

I'm talking about the other one.

"That was awesome, to hear them chanting 'Gurley'," Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis said.

Gur-ley! Gur-ley! It's become the soundtrack to the Rams' new thriller: Gurley Gone Wild. And one of the NFL's top defenses is happy to share the spotlight.

"We are on the sideline cheering him on while we take sips of water," nose tackle Michael Brockers said. "This guy, he's special. We love having him here."

My two takeaways from hearing a fourth-year defensive lineman gush over a rookie running back:

1. Gurley is beloved in the Rams locker room. Teammates on both sides of the ball are (a) impressed by his determination to return from the knee injury that threatened his career; and (b) appreciative of the humility he has shown in the wake of his early success.

In his third start and first game sans knee brace, he churned for 163 all-purpose yards (128 rushing, 35 receiving) and scored the first two touchdowns of his career. Yes, he kept the football from his first trip to pay dirt. He also lingered in the locker room celebration until everyone else left, then signed a game program for a young fan on his way out. The guy is easy to root for.

"Everyone is just aware of what happened and knew how hard he has worked to get back," center Tim Barnes said. "The way he has done it, he's not a real loud guy. He comes in and puts in the work every day. Guys respect that."

2. Brockers, whether he chimed in on the fans' Gurley chant or made up his own, actually had enough air and energy to cheer. Too often this season, Rams defenders have had to hoard air like free divers, sucking in as much as they can on the sideline before they rush back out after another Johnny Hekker punt.

Since Gurley started starting, the Rams' average time of possession, while still lopsided in the opponent's favor, has improved. The defense has been on the sideline for an average of two more minutes per game. It's just one of the reasons a burgeoning backfield star is helping his defense breathe a little easier.

"We still need more production from the offense," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said when asked if this is the mix of strong defense and ground-and-pound offense he had in mind. "We just can't rely on Todd all the time."

Right. Nick Foles was just OK. Tight end Jared Cook, who can neither catch nor catch a break, remains lost in the Twilight Zone, and no other pass-catcher totaled more than Tavon Austin's 43 receiving yards.

But leaning on Gurley sure is better than leaning on the defense alone. And when you don't throw four interceptions like Foles did against Green Bay two weeks ago, the combo can win games.

The Rams' defense delivered once again against the Browns. The first two of its four fumble recoveries — one was returned for a touchdown and the other set up a field goal — secured a 10-0 first quarter lead.

"If we get six points, then that should be enough," Laurinaitis said. "We really feel that way defensively. You have to challenge yourself to be perfect."

That's a tough task. Gurley's two touchdowns, a 1-yard burst in the third quarter followed by a 16-yard sprint in the fourth, provided the cushion.

He averaged 6.7 yards per carry and totaled, according to ESPN Stats and Information, a whopping 97 yards after contact. Let that sink in.

Rams running back Benny Cunningham playfully teased his teammate for his slow start. Two of Gurley's first three runs lost yards.

"First half Todd Gurley has cable," Cunningham said. "Second half Todd Gurley has Direct TV."

There's another way to look at it. Gurley's first halves are the body blows that set up his late-game haymakers. He has totaled sixteen of his 442 rushing yards in the first quarter, 97 in the second, 116 in the third and 213 in the fourth.

Can Gurley's surgically repaired left knee hold up? So far so good. After he hurdled, or Gurdled, unsuspecting Browns defensive back K'Waun Williams on a second-quarter sweep that went 48 yards, it's safe to say he's not worried.

"I think that's why he's been wanting to get out of the brace," Brockers said. "He's been good for a while. We've been resting him for a while. The reason we got him was to see some of that athletic ability, some of those runs he has, where he has that second effort and get some of those first downs and extra yardage. But to watch him do stuff like that, it's very special. To even have him on our team is even more special."

Gurley rushed for 146, 159 and 128 yards in his first three starts. The last rookie to run for 125-plus in his first three starts conjured images of an Escalade: Cadillac Williams (2005).

His 5.97 yards per carry rank second in the NFL among players with 60-plus carries. Of his 74 runs, 18.9 percent have resulted in gains of 10-plus yards. He and Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson, who has started six games, lead the league with three runs of 40-plus.

Laurinaitis compares Gurley's effect to the jolt Tavon Austin creates when he gets the ball in space. He and his defensive counterparts, like the fans, move to the edge of the bench. Gurley, the linebacker explained, has realized he can do what he did in college in the pros.

"You can see his confidence just growing," Laurinaitis said. "He's really trusting himself and his knee. He's looking like the Georgia Todd Gurley, jumping all over the place. It's really cool to see. He electrifies the team when he does stuff like that."

And takes some pressure off a defense that deserves some help.