https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/12/26/16818892/week-16-recap-playoff-picture-questions
By Robert Mays
Todd Gurley trampled the Titans on Sunday — and showed all that he means to the Rams offense.
Gurley piled up a ridiculous 276 yards from scrimmage in L.A.’s 27–23 win, helping clinch both the NFC West title and fantasy championship games around the country. He had a big day on the ground (22 carries for 118 yards), but let’s talk about the monster outing Gurley had as a receiver.
When a back finishes with 10 catches for 158 yards on 13targets the way Gurley did against Tennessee, odds are that he was a key part of a team’s passing plan from the start. And the Rams made it clear from the get-go that Gurley would be a focal point through the air. Facing a first-and-10 from its own 28-yard line on the third play from scrimmage, L.A. ran a play-action screen to Gurley to the right side. Both the call and execution offered a glimpse of what’s made this offense so effective all season.
Combining a screen with a play fake on first down accomplishes a few goals: The call creates a simple throw for the quarterback; it toys with tendencies so that defensive preparation becomes exceedingly tough; and, unlike a typical screen, it pulls linebackers toward the line of scrimmage, thus allowing the offensive line to pick off defenders at the second and third levels.
Rams head coach Sean McVay constantly makes assignments easier for his guys, and designs like this are a telling example. Of course, it helps when your running back can leap tall buildings in a single bound.
The play-action screen worked so well for L.A. the first time that McVay called another on the opening play of his team’s second drive, this time for an 11-yard gain. The Rams attempted three passes to their superstar back in their first 10 offensive plays, and they weren’t even close to being done.
The Rams’ opening touchdown featured Gurley as the inside receiver in a trips bunch to the right. With Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp clearing out of that side (and committing the kind of blatant offensive pass interference that doesn’t always get called), Gurley slipped into the flat for an easy score.
McVay has shown all year that he’s willing to deploy Gurley as a receiver in both traditional and unconventional ways. The Rams’ 80-yard touchdown late in the second quarter came on a relatively straightforward screen aided by a Titans blitz and Gurley looking like an on-field superhero. Six minutes earlier, though, Gurley had lined up in stack with Watkins on the right and took a crossing route for a 16-yard gain.
With 1,305 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns, and an average of 4.7 yards per carry, Gurley has put together an excellent, resurgent year as a runner. But it’s the work he’s done as a receiver that has turned him into a legitimate MVP candidate.
On the days when the Rams’ ground game has struggled, McVay has made a concerted effort to keep Gurley involved in the passing game. He’s finished with fewer than 95 yards from scrimmage twice: in a Week 5 loss to Seattle that came before the Seahawks defense was ravaged by injury, and in a Week 11 defeat against the Vikings.
That ruthless consistency has propelled Gurley to a league-leading 2,093 yards from scrimmage with one regular-season game still to play. If he reaches his 140-yard average next Sunday against the 49ers, he’ll hit a season-long total of 2,233, the fourth-best mark in the past decade.
If Gurley can get 169 total yards against San Francisco, he’d jump DeMarco Murray’s 2014 total (2,261) and slot in behind only Chris Johnson’s 2009 campaign and Adrian Peterson’s 2012 campaign, when — wait for it — AP was named league MVP.
At this point, Gurley’s historical company, the Rams’ renaissance, and the back’s memorable late-season run have put him within striking distance of Tom Brady. With one more dominant outing, Gurley would have a real shot to take home the trophy.