Gurley and Anderson

[leoram]

The Bears are #1 in the NFL vs the run and #7 vs the pass.

A simple answer like shove it down their throats and run the ball is probably a recipe for disaster.

If you rewatch our game vs the Bears you will notice 2 interceptions came as a result of Goff being hit as he was throwing and thus the passes were altered. A third interception came on an end of half hail marry which contextually shouldn’t count towards evaluating our pass game vs the Bears.

Our pass game can beat the bears but the timing of the ball coming out of
Goff’s hands needs to speed up. You also have to help Sully with Hicks and also double Mack. I can see a split RB set for this exact purpose.

The Bears are not that good on the road.

If we play our game and throw the Bears pass rush off with quick passes, counters and rollouts, and block the correct pass rushers we could score on them.

Don’t get me wrong, I would try to run the ball, but if it’s going backwards I try to beat them through the air with the right adjustments.

Absolutely right!

The Bears loaded up v the run and played deep to take away the explosives. If Goff were patient w the short to intermediate game, things would’ve went much better. Also, more jets, screens, and draws to counter their aggression like others do to our D. Traps and power runs should be sprinkled in place of some of the zone runs we like so much.

Once THEY have to adjust, then it’s business as usual and the Rams will hang 30 on them.

 

[Prime Time]

As for me, my heart survived the stress tests, but will undergo more testing with my family Doc. Itfeels good to cut off my hospital tag and get that damned IV outta my arm! Thanks for asking

Here in Western MD we had a big snowstorm on Nov 15th. I did the snow shoveling/snowblower thing that day and the next. Then the symptoms began. Pain in the back, neck, and even chest. It took me 5 weeks to go to the doctor and was diagnosed with muscle spasms. They prescribed me muscle relaxers and prednisone. The pain continues today.

The stuff with the heart is a scary thing as well as any pain the docs can't diagnose. Take care of yourself.

 

[Loyal]

Here in Western MD we had a big snowstorm on Nov 15th. I did the snow shoveling/snowblower thing that day and the next. Then the symptoms began. Pain in the back, neck, and even chest. It took me 5 weeks to go to the doctor and was diagnosed with muscle spasms. They prescribed me muscle relaxers and prednisone. The pain continues today.

The stuff with the heart is a scary thing as well as any pain the docs can't diagnose. Take care of yourself.

I willl, and YOU TOO!

 

[OregonRamsFan]

I have to say the Rams keep hitting it out of the ballpark on our acquisitions. CJ Anderson may be the reason we win a SB this year. He’s that important in my opinion.

I’d like to see Anderson incorporated into the offense when Todd returns. What a dual threat we’d have for the opposing defenses to deal with. CJ would be a good lead blocker in both run (blocking for TG) and pass scenarios. Could we use CJ as a quick pass receiver in the slot? I bet McVay is having fun drawing up ways to use him with Gurley to keep defenses on their heels.

 

[Loyal]

I have to say the Rams keep hitting it out of the ballpark on our acquisitions. CJ Anderson may be the reason we win a SB this year. He’s that important in my opinion.

I’d like to see Anderson incorporated into the offense when Todd returns. What a dual threat we’d have for the opposing defenses to deal with. CJ would be a good lead blocker in both run (blocking for TG) and pass scenarios. Could we use CJ as a quick pass receiver in the slot? I bet McVay is having fun drawing up ways to use him with Gurley to keep defenses on their heels.

I think you are right, and the talking heads are ignoring these facts..

 

[FarNorth]

I think you are right, and the talking heads are ignoring these facts..

CJ and Dante Fowler are both big time acquisitions. I am way beyond surprised and delighted with CJ's running ability, dedication and smarts. The dude is awesome. I don't know if McVay can come up with plays to put both CJ and Gurley on the field together but I'm all for it if he can. Thinking 3rd and short and inside the 5 yard line in the red zone. (That would free up Goff on the keeper!!-- just kidding.)

 

[majrleaged]

It's about stressing the Bears defense. They'll be seeing plays and looks that we've never shown before. For example, if you have Gurley coming on jet motion, that changes things significantly. Woods, Cooks, Reynolds, etc. have to be respected, but Todd Gurley is arguably the NFL's best HB. When he's coming across the formation with the opportunity to get the ball, it is going to draw attention. And if we run play action off of that, teams will sometimes forget the guy on the jet action. That might allow you to hit Gurley with a quick pass in the flat for a big gain.

Further, you can work in other wrinkles. You could have Cooks run a go route or skinny post to draw coverage with Gurley running a wheel route behind that off of the jet action. You can bring Gurley in motion and then use him in a route combination if you like the defensive match-ups. You want to make the Bears have to think out there. That will lead to mistakes. Plus, the attention Gurley will draw on those plays is more likely to open up running lanes for Anderson.

I'm not saying we run 95% of our plays out of that personnel. I'm saying we sprinkle it in as a wrinkle to confuse the Bears.
(You can replace the Bears with whomever else if the Bears lose)

And if you get the D in the personnel group you like, you can run hurry up and our O can get into a rhythm that we never could get the first time we played them.

 

[So Ram]

Agreed
Use Anderson in the same roll as a back up and fill in as needed.

Exactly!! The Rams & McVay already have the recipe. The question will be if The Rams use Kelly on game day ?? I think only if he is a core special teams guy or The Rams are really unsure about Gurley.

 

[Merlin]

I believe it. Have you seen his girlfriend.

 

[Prime Time]

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/02/nfl-rams-todd-gurley-cj-anderson-playoffs/

What will C.J. Anderson's role with Rams be when Todd Gurley returns?
By: Cameron DaSilva

Todd Gurley is one of the most important players on the Los Angeles Rams’ roster. He’s the reigning Offensive Player of the Year and was an MVP candidate before the team’s Week 12 bye hit and he suffered a knee injury against the Eagles.

He was forced to miss the last two games of the season as the Rams preferred to play it safe with their star running back, allowing him to rest before the postseason. They were able to do that comfortably thanks to C.J. Anderson and his quick transition from free agent to RB1 in Los Angeles.

He rushed for 299 yards and two touchdowns on just 43 carries in Gurley’s place as the starter the last two games, helping lift the Rams to the No. 2 seed with back-to-back wins. The question now becomes whether Anderson will have a role in the playoffs.

If you look at the way the Rams used Gurley’s backups the past two years, it’d be easy to say Anderson will barely touch the ball in the postseason. Excluding the games in which Gurley didn’t play – Week 17 last year and the last two games this season – the Rams gave the ball to backup running backs just 55 times in 2017 and 47 times in 2018.

However, if you watched Anderson play the last two weeks, you probably know how hard it’ll be to keep him off the field – even with Gurley back in the mix. He’s averaging 7 yards per carry with 11 of his 43 attempts going for at least 10 yards. Granted, he did face a terrible Cardinals run defense, but the 49ers finished the season seventh in the NFL in yards per carry allowed.

That sort of effectiveness is hard to ignore, which makes this a somewhat difficult situation for Sean McVay. How can he ride the hot hand in Anderson while also giving Gurley enough touches, knowing how good he’s been the last two years?

Both are good in pass protection and can catch the ball out of the backfield, though Gurley has the advantage in both areas. Their well-rounded skill sets make them almost interchangeable, which is a good thing.

Rotating backs on a series-by-series basis is difficult because Gurley is such a good player, and that can sometimes take players out of a rhythm. Perhaps the Rams can use Anderson in some early-down situations, coming in as a change-of-pace player. After all, he’s shown explosiveness not often associated with him, ripping off a 46-yard run – longer than any of Gurley’s this year – as well as carries of 27 and 22 yards.

No matter how the Rams use Anderson and Gurley, this is a good problem to have. It’s never a bad thing to have two very capable backs available, especially given the physical nature of the position. If McVay wants to, he can change things up and go more run-heavy than he has in the past, keeping both running backs fresh and pounding the ball 25-30 times.

Ultimately, you can probably expect to see Gurley get around 15-20 carries in the divisional round with Anderson chipping in five or so touches throughout the game, though McVay may shed some light on the backfield timeshare at some point before the game.