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Todd Gurley can help Rams' run game but unfair to expect instant cure
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ms-run-game-but-unfair-to-expect-instant-cure
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Midway through Wednesday's practice, St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley darted through a hole and raced about 70 yards for a would-be touchdown against the backup defense.
From the sideline, the starting defense began shouting its approval as Gurley finished the run in the end zone.
"I heard them," Gurley said, smiling. "Coach always harps on us finishing our runs, and the hole was there and I felt good, my momentum just swung me to the end zone. That felt good."
The defense wasn't alone in using that run to picture what Gurley could do for the Rams' ailing offense if he's able to make his debut Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
To this point, Rams coach Jeff Fisher isn't tipping his hand on whether Gurley will play against the Steelers, but there seem to be some things trending in a positive direction.
First and foremost, Gurley is not listed on the team's injury report with the designation of "knee" as he bounces back from the torn ACL he suffered in November of last year. That represents a shift from the previous two weeks, in which Gurley was listed as out for Week 1 and then questionable despite being a full participant in all three days of reports last week.
Of course, this doesn't seem to be about ensuring that Gurley is healthy anymore. That much was obvious when he was cleared to practice without the yellow no-contact beanie.
"The doctors are fine," Fisher said. "Everybody's fine. It's just he needs the experience, he needs the reps so he can carry the confidence into the game."
That's why this week is mostly about getting Gurley those reps before an official decision is made. Gurley has talked about the need to get more work so that he can get into football shape and quarterback Nick Foles said Wednesday that Gurley is taking advantage of the work he's getting in practice this week to try to reach that goal.
"(He's) just trying to get acclimated, just trying to get his legs underneath him and getting used to running this offense," Foles said. "Getting used to the holes, where he's running, stuff like that. It's great having him out there."
At this point, it's clear that Gurley believes he's ready to play. When he was asked last week whether he would tell coaches he's ready to play if they wanted his opinion, Gurley said "I don't know." When the same question was posed Wednesday, Gurley said "Yeah, I would" and let out a big smile. In a followup question, Gurley was asked to rate how he feels on a scale of one to 10.
"Of course I'm going to say 10. You can't have me saying 7 or something on TV," Gurley said. "I feel good. I definitely feel like myself again."
When the time comes, Gurley being himself will likely mean becoming a focal point of the offense. But it's unfair and unrealistic to expect Gurley to be that in his first NFL game after not being tackled for nearly a year. That's not to say the Rams couldn't use a splashy start from him.
Thus far, the Rams' run game has been a disappointment, averaging 71.5 yards per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. Many of those struggles can be attributed to an offensive line that hasn't opened many holes with backs unable to break tackles. The Rams are averaging just 0.92 yards per carry after contact through the first two games.
A healthy Gurley could offer a solution in that area. He averaged 3.9 yards after contact per rush last season at Georgia, best among Power 5 conference players with a minimum of 50 carries.
In time, the Rams hope and believe that Gurley can become that type of player again, but it would be asking a lot to think he could do that immediately upon entering the lineup.
Even if Gurley was capable of simply picking up where he left off in college, he might not get enough carries to do it for a few weeks. Earlier this week, Fisher acknowledged that the Rams would have a "pitch count" in place for Gurley with a targeted number of touches and snaps. He wouldn't reveal that plan but it might be instructive to note running back Tre Mason didn't play until game five last year as a rookie and received just six touches in his debut. And Mason wasn't coming off a torn ACL.
Despite his team's struggles getting the run game going, Fisher said the decision on Gurley won't be made from early-season desperation.
"No, Todd's going to play when he's ready to play," Fisher said. "It's a non-factor. I've been saying this since he got here, when he's ready, he's going to play regardless of what's happening around him. But he's getting closer."
Closer to playing in his first NFL game, but the role of centerpiece in the offense will probably have to wait a bit longer.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ms-run-game-but-unfair-to-expect-instant-cure
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Midway through Wednesday's practice, St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley darted through a hole and raced about 70 yards for a would-be touchdown against the backup defense.
From the sideline, the starting defense began shouting its approval as Gurley finished the run in the end zone.
"I heard them," Gurley said, smiling. "Coach always harps on us finishing our runs, and the hole was there and I felt good, my momentum just swung me to the end zone. That felt good."
The defense wasn't alone in using that run to picture what Gurley could do for the Rams' ailing offense if he's able to make his debut Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
To this point, Rams coach Jeff Fisher isn't tipping his hand on whether Gurley will play against the Steelers, but there seem to be some things trending in a positive direction.
First and foremost, Gurley is not listed on the team's injury report with the designation of "knee" as he bounces back from the torn ACL he suffered in November of last year. That represents a shift from the previous two weeks, in which Gurley was listed as out for Week 1 and then questionable despite being a full participant in all three days of reports last week.
Of course, this doesn't seem to be about ensuring that Gurley is healthy anymore. That much was obvious when he was cleared to practice without the yellow no-contact beanie.
"The doctors are fine," Fisher said. "Everybody's fine. It's just he needs the experience, he needs the reps so he can carry the confidence into the game."
That's why this week is mostly about getting Gurley those reps before an official decision is made. Gurley has talked about the need to get more work so that he can get into football shape and quarterback Nick Foles said Wednesday that Gurley is taking advantage of the work he's getting in practice this week to try to reach that goal.
"(He's) just trying to get acclimated, just trying to get his legs underneath him and getting used to running this offense," Foles said. "Getting used to the holes, where he's running, stuff like that. It's great having him out there."
At this point, it's clear that Gurley believes he's ready to play. When he was asked last week whether he would tell coaches he's ready to play if they wanted his opinion, Gurley said "I don't know." When the same question was posed Wednesday, Gurley said "Yeah, I would" and let out a big smile. In a followup question, Gurley was asked to rate how he feels on a scale of one to 10.
"Of course I'm going to say 10. You can't have me saying 7 or something on TV," Gurley said. "I feel good. I definitely feel like myself again."
When the time comes, Gurley being himself will likely mean becoming a focal point of the offense. But it's unfair and unrealistic to expect Gurley to be that in his first NFL game after not being tackled for nearly a year. That's not to say the Rams couldn't use a splashy start from him.
Thus far, the Rams' run game has been a disappointment, averaging 71.5 yards per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. Many of those struggles can be attributed to an offensive line that hasn't opened many holes with backs unable to break tackles. The Rams are averaging just 0.92 yards per carry after contact through the first two games.
A healthy Gurley could offer a solution in that area. He averaged 3.9 yards after contact per rush last season at Georgia, best among Power 5 conference players with a minimum of 50 carries.
In time, the Rams hope and believe that Gurley can become that type of player again, but it would be asking a lot to think he could do that immediately upon entering the lineup.
Even if Gurley was capable of simply picking up where he left off in college, he might not get enough carries to do it for a few weeks. Earlier this week, Fisher acknowledged that the Rams would have a "pitch count" in place for Gurley with a targeted number of touches and snaps. He wouldn't reveal that plan but it might be instructive to note running back Tre Mason didn't play until game five last year as a rookie and received just six touches in his debut. And Mason wasn't coming off a torn ACL.
Despite his team's struggles getting the run game going, Fisher said the decision on Gurley won't be made from early-season desperation.
"No, Todd's going to play when he's ready to play," Fisher said. "It's a non-factor. I've been saying this since he got here, when he's ready, he's going to play regardless of what's happening around him. But he's getting closer."
Closer to playing in his first NFL game, but the role of centerpiece in the offense will probably have to wait a bit longer.
