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Good for Gurley: Browns rank last against the run
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_c08c9ae6-71c9-5555-9571-ba420ecbfac6.html
On Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome, Rams running back Todd Gurley can become only the second rookie in NFL history to rush for 140 or more yards in three consecutive games.
At face value, the visiting Cleveland Browns look like the perfect candidate to help Gurley get there, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer and one-time Ram Eric Dickerson.
The Browns rank 32nd, or dead last, in the NFL in run defense, allowing 149.8 yards per game. And they’re next to last in yards allowed per carry (5.0). With the exception of San Diego, every Browns opponent so far this season has gained at least 152 yards on the ground against them.
And here’s the thing. It’s not as if the Browns have gone up against the league’s top rushing teams every week. Yes, the New York Jets rank first in NFL rushing offense. But as for the rest of Cleveland’s foes this season: Baltimore is 15th, Tennessee 16th, Oakland 27th, San Diego 29th, and Denver 30th in rushing offense.
The Broncos had topped 70 yards rushing in a game only once all season until last week’s 26-23 overtime victory at Cleveland when Ronnie Hillman gained 111 yards and Denver had 152 as a team.
Now comes Gurley, the new kid on the block in terms of star NFL running backs. He has rushed for a total of 305 yards his last two contests and is looking forward to the first home start of his NFL career in Sunday’s noon kickoff.
So it doesn’t take Vince Lombardi to figure out the biggest challenge facing Cleveland (2-4) this week. It’s about as blunt as a Gurley stiff-arm.
“Offensively, I don’t think you have to go any further than the run game with Gurley,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “That’s a significant challenge. I think our struggles against the run have been well-documented.
“So it’s very clear to us. It’s their strength, the Rams’ strength, vs. our weakness. We’re expecting a lot of run. Gurley is as advertised. We had a very high grade on him coming out of the draft, and he’s certainly lived up to the hype. He’s playing at a very high level.”
The Rams selected Gurley at No. 10 overall in the draft last spring; Cleveland was up two picks later at No. 12 overall. Had the Rams gone in another direction at No. 10, would the Browns have taken Gurley?
“I don’t remember exactly how we had it stacked, but had he been available it certainly would’ve been in the discussion,” Pettine told St. Louis reporters on a conference call.
If nothing else, the Browns will get an up-close look at what might have been. With Gurley off the board, they selected 339-pound defensive tackle Danny Shelton out of Washington at No. 12. The Shelton pick made sense because Cleveland’s problems stopping the run didn’t just crop up this season. The Browns also were last in the league in run defense in 2014.
Shelton has come under some criticism this season. He has been a part-time player and hasn’t been a disruptive force in the middle so far with 14 tackles and one tackle for loss.
“He’s been inconsistent,” Pettine said. “I think he’s played well some games. Other games, he’s left some plays out there. But overall, we’re pleased with where he is. There’s a learning curve there for NFL defensive linemen.”
But the real problem for the Browns’ run defense in 2015 has been on the perimeter. Their front seven can’t seem to consistently hold the edges. They have been susceptible to stretch plays that work their way outside.
With more zone-blocking concepts in their run-game scheme this season, the Rams have those types of plays in their arsenal.
Even though all signs point to this being a favorable matchup, the Rams are showing Cleveland’s defense the utmost respect this week. Rams coach Jeff Fisher, for one, thinks the Browns’ No. 32-ranking in run defense is deceiving.
“They’ll be good 19 times out of 20,” he said. “Then, the last, the 20th attempt will go for 40 (yards). So that’s how it’s gone against them.”
As for Shelton, Fisher said: “The big man from Washington is a load. Inside, he’s a penetrator. He’s going to be a tough matchup for our interior three.”
But surely the Rams have seen some things on film they can exploit, right?
“Well, you’d like to think as you game plan there are things that could give you an advantage,” offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti said. “But once again, this is the National Football League. Every Sunday is a challenge. They’re an excellent defense.”
As for Gurley, he may be privately licking his chops at a chance to get after the Browns’ defense. He may want to greet them at Lambert Airport on Saturday, make sure their hotel accommodations are satisfactory.
But he’s savvy enough to know that a ranking never made a tackle, or clogged the line of scrimmage, or stacked the box with an extra defender or two. The Browns will be highly-motivated to shut him down and make the Rams’ passing game, which stumbled badly against Green Bay, beat them.
“Those type of things sound good,” Gurley said of the Browns’ ranking. “But at the end of the day when Sunday hits and it’s time to get on the field, it’s all about executing and not letting that man across from you beat you.
“So those guys can come Sunday and play like they’re the No. 1 defense. Those guys had a great game last week against the Broncos in overtime. So I never really look at the ranking.”
===================
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_c08c9ae6-71c9-5555-9571-ba420ecbfac6.html
On Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome, Rams running back Todd Gurley can become only the second rookie in NFL history to rush for 140 or more yards in three consecutive games.
At face value, the visiting Cleveland Browns look like the perfect candidate to help Gurley get there, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer and one-time Ram Eric Dickerson.
The Browns rank 32nd, or dead last, in the NFL in run defense, allowing 149.8 yards per game. And they’re next to last in yards allowed per carry (5.0). With the exception of San Diego, every Browns opponent so far this season has gained at least 152 yards on the ground against them.
And here’s the thing. It’s not as if the Browns have gone up against the league’s top rushing teams every week. Yes, the New York Jets rank first in NFL rushing offense. But as for the rest of Cleveland’s foes this season: Baltimore is 15th, Tennessee 16th, Oakland 27th, San Diego 29th, and Denver 30th in rushing offense.
The Broncos had topped 70 yards rushing in a game only once all season until last week’s 26-23 overtime victory at Cleveland when Ronnie Hillman gained 111 yards and Denver had 152 as a team.
Now comes Gurley, the new kid on the block in terms of star NFL running backs. He has rushed for a total of 305 yards his last two contests and is looking forward to the first home start of his NFL career in Sunday’s noon kickoff.
So it doesn’t take Vince Lombardi to figure out the biggest challenge facing Cleveland (2-4) this week. It’s about as blunt as a Gurley stiff-arm.
“Offensively, I don’t think you have to go any further than the run game with Gurley,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “That’s a significant challenge. I think our struggles against the run have been well-documented.
“So it’s very clear to us. It’s their strength, the Rams’ strength, vs. our weakness. We’re expecting a lot of run. Gurley is as advertised. We had a very high grade on him coming out of the draft, and he’s certainly lived up to the hype. He’s playing at a very high level.”
The Rams selected Gurley at No. 10 overall in the draft last spring; Cleveland was up two picks later at No. 12 overall. Had the Rams gone in another direction at No. 10, would the Browns have taken Gurley?
“I don’t remember exactly how we had it stacked, but had he been available it certainly would’ve been in the discussion,” Pettine told St. Louis reporters on a conference call.
If nothing else, the Browns will get an up-close look at what might have been. With Gurley off the board, they selected 339-pound defensive tackle Danny Shelton out of Washington at No. 12. The Shelton pick made sense because Cleveland’s problems stopping the run didn’t just crop up this season. The Browns also were last in the league in run defense in 2014.
Shelton has come under some criticism this season. He has been a part-time player and hasn’t been a disruptive force in the middle so far with 14 tackles and one tackle for loss.
“He’s been inconsistent,” Pettine said. “I think he’s played well some games. Other games, he’s left some plays out there. But overall, we’re pleased with where he is. There’s a learning curve there for NFL defensive linemen.”
But the real problem for the Browns’ run defense in 2015 has been on the perimeter. Their front seven can’t seem to consistently hold the edges. They have been susceptible to stretch plays that work their way outside.
With more zone-blocking concepts in their run-game scheme this season, the Rams have those types of plays in their arsenal.
Even though all signs point to this being a favorable matchup, the Rams are showing Cleveland’s defense the utmost respect this week. Rams coach Jeff Fisher, for one, thinks the Browns’ No. 32-ranking in run defense is deceiving.
“They’ll be good 19 times out of 20,” he said. “Then, the last, the 20th attempt will go for 40 (yards). So that’s how it’s gone against them.”
As for Shelton, Fisher said: “The big man from Washington is a load. Inside, he’s a penetrator. He’s going to be a tough matchup for our interior three.”
But surely the Rams have seen some things on film they can exploit, right?
“Well, you’d like to think as you game plan there are things that could give you an advantage,” offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti said. “But once again, this is the National Football League. Every Sunday is a challenge. They’re an excellent defense.”
As for Gurley, he may be privately licking his chops at a chance to get after the Browns’ defense. He may want to greet them at Lambert Airport on Saturday, make sure their hotel accommodations are satisfactory.
But he’s savvy enough to know that a ranking never made a tackle, or clogged the line of scrimmage, or stacked the box with an extra defender or two. The Browns will be highly-motivated to shut him down and make the Rams’ passing game, which stumbled badly against Green Bay, beat them.
“Those type of things sound good,” Gurley said of the Browns’ ranking. “But at the end of the day when Sunday hits and it’s time to get on the field, it’s all about executing and not letting that man across from you beat you.
“So those guys can come Sunday and play like they’re the No. 1 defense. Those guys had a great game last week against the Broncos in overtime. So I never really look at the ranking.”
===================
