RamBill
Legend
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2010
- Messages
- 8,874
Gordon: Gurley makes Rams dangerous
• By Jeff Gordon
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_2eec1940-b570-5a1c-8cd0-e33353a20f09.html
GREEN BAY, WIS. • This may see like an odd time to bring it up, but here goes: The Rams are more formidable now and running back Todd Gurley makes it so.
They carry a 2-3 record into their bye week after falling to the unbeaten Packers 24-10 Sunday afternoon. But, as coach Jeff Fisher noted after the game, “We’re 1-1 since Todd got his opportunity.”
And since that 1-1 came on the road against the NFC’s top two teams, the Rams can live with that split heading into their much-needed schedule break.
Gurley rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries against the Packers. He repeatedly pounded the ball into scoring range, most notably with a 55-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like we did a great job today,” Gurley said. “We were definitely on the field a lot more than last week, but we need to be more consistent and finish by putting some points on the board.”
He has gained 305 yards on 49 carries in his first two NFL starts after recovering from major knee surgery. His development completes the Rams’ transformation from bullied weakling into respected mouth-smashers.
Along with the playmaking Rams defense — which forced three Aaron Rogers turnovers, an unheard total at Lambeau Field — Gurley will make the Rams dangerous in their final 11 games if he stays healthy.
“We’re running the football right now, so the formula is there,” Fisher said. “We just have to keep improving.”
Sunday’s loss was no shocker. This has been a “L” on their schedule since the NFL posted it. The Packers carried an 11-game home winning streak into this game, playoffs included. Their explosive offense scored 383 points during their last 10 home games.
Rodgers earned a 100-plus rating in 10 straight regular season home games. He had thrown 586 consecutive passes at Lambeau without an interception, playoffs included, and completed 49 TD passes during that span.
But the aggressive Rams defense and their persistent ground game turned this game competitive. Gurley helped the Rams maintain ball control and sustain drives despite the epic collapse of their passing game.
Quarterback Nick Foles threw four interceptions, including one resulting in a Packers touchdown, one in the Green Bay end zone and one at the Packers 7-yard line.
He suffered three sacks and absorbed 12 hits, according to the press box statistics. He also fumbled once (recovered by the Rams) and threw away several passes under duress.
And when he did have time to throw, he didn’t see much separation from his targets. Foles completed just 11 of 30 passes for 141 yards, with 68 yards coming on a garbage time bomb to Stedman Bailey.
This aerial futility turned the Rams into a one-dimensional offense, yet Gurley still made some headway against a stout defense expecting him to get the ball on every play.
“In the second half he broke out and got one big run that boosted his stats up,” Packers linebacker Julius Peppers said. “But like I said, he grinded today, did a good job.”
The 30 carries impressed Packers coach Mike McCarthy as much as the 159 yards. That explained how the Rams controlled the ball for 34 minutes without a viable passing attack.
“That tells the story more than anything,” McCarthy said. “I thought he did a heck of a job. They had the big run there, but 30 touches, that says a lot.”
Yes, the young offensive linemen remain a concern. Rodger Saffold’s latest shoulder injury makes them even more vulnerable to elite defenses. The aggressive Packers kept their heads spinning with assorted shifts, stunts, twists and blitzes.
Yes, Foles must regroup during the bye week and refocus on ball security. When the walls close in, he must discard the ball safely and not create such hazardous offensive waste. The most effective Rams passer Sunday was punter Johnny Hekker, who scrambled and found a secondary target while completing a 20-yard fake punt throw.
Yes, injuries are becoming a concern. The Rams really missed outside linebacker Alec Ogletree (broken leg bone) in this game, and the losses of Saffold and defensive end Chris Long (knee injury) are worrisome.
Yes, place kicker Greg Zuerlein must earn back his “Legatron” designation. His 50-yard field goal attempt was tipped, and he missed wide from 53 and 63 yards out. A team built on defense and power running must cash in those long kicks.
Yes, the defense must prevent the huge, game-changing plays. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson lost coverage on Rodgers’ 31-yard touchdown pass to Ty Montgomery and Lamarcus Joyner stumbled on James Jones’ 65-yard TD reception. Such lapses offset all the terrific defensive plays the Rams made to force turnovers and earn critical stops.
There is still plenty of work to do, starting in about two weeks against the Cleveland Browns at home. But Gurley makes things different. He just does.
There aren’t many running backs of his caliber in the NFL. He is a quantum leap forward from Tre Mason, Zac Stacy and the twilight era Steven Jackson.
“These guys believe in me,” Gurley said. “We’re running the ball. We’re doing a great job. We have to put stuff together and finish.”
Gurley’s ability to turn nothing plays into something creates more favorable down-and-distance situations. As the Rams showed last week while winning at Arizona, that can makes a huge difference.
“Once he hits that hole, he’s hitting it,” Foles said. “That is going to open up a lot of things.
“A lot of good things will happen going forward. We’ll keep working to be a complete offense. Our running game, that’s the start of it. You have a great running game in the NFL because the clock keeps moving and it wears down the defense. We’ll build off that for sure.”
• By Jeff Gordon
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_2eec1940-b570-5a1c-8cd0-e33353a20f09.html
GREEN BAY, WIS. • This may see like an odd time to bring it up, but here goes: The Rams are more formidable now and running back Todd Gurley makes it so.
They carry a 2-3 record into their bye week after falling to the unbeaten Packers 24-10 Sunday afternoon. But, as coach Jeff Fisher noted after the game, “We’re 1-1 since Todd got his opportunity.”
And since that 1-1 came on the road against the NFC’s top two teams, the Rams can live with that split heading into their much-needed schedule break.
Gurley rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries against the Packers. He repeatedly pounded the ball into scoring range, most notably with a 55-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like we did a great job today,” Gurley said. “We were definitely on the field a lot more than last week, but we need to be more consistent and finish by putting some points on the board.”
He has gained 305 yards on 49 carries in his first two NFL starts after recovering from major knee surgery. His development completes the Rams’ transformation from bullied weakling into respected mouth-smashers.
Along with the playmaking Rams defense — which forced three Aaron Rogers turnovers, an unheard total at Lambeau Field — Gurley will make the Rams dangerous in their final 11 games if he stays healthy.
“We’re running the football right now, so the formula is there,” Fisher said. “We just have to keep improving.”
Sunday’s loss was no shocker. This has been a “L” on their schedule since the NFL posted it. The Packers carried an 11-game home winning streak into this game, playoffs included. Their explosive offense scored 383 points during their last 10 home games.
Rodgers earned a 100-plus rating in 10 straight regular season home games. He had thrown 586 consecutive passes at Lambeau without an interception, playoffs included, and completed 49 TD passes during that span.
But the aggressive Rams defense and their persistent ground game turned this game competitive. Gurley helped the Rams maintain ball control and sustain drives despite the epic collapse of their passing game.
Quarterback Nick Foles threw four interceptions, including one resulting in a Packers touchdown, one in the Green Bay end zone and one at the Packers 7-yard line.
He suffered three sacks and absorbed 12 hits, according to the press box statistics. He also fumbled once (recovered by the Rams) and threw away several passes under duress.
And when he did have time to throw, he didn’t see much separation from his targets. Foles completed just 11 of 30 passes for 141 yards, with 68 yards coming on a garbage time bomb to Stedman Bailey.
This aerial futility turned the Rams into a one-dimensional offense, yet Gurley still made some headway against a stout defense expecting him to get the ball on every play.
“In the second half he broke out and got one big run that boosted his stats up,” Packers linebacker Julius Peppers said. “But like I said, he grinded today, did a good job.”
The 30 carries impressed Packers coach Mike McCarthy as much as the 159 yards. That explained how the Rams controlled the ball for 34 minutes without a viable passing attack.
“That tells the story more than anything,” McCarthy said. “I thought he did a heck of a job. They had the big run there, but 30 touches, that says a lot.”
Yes, the young offensive linemen remain a concern. Rodger Saffold’s latest shoulder injury makes them even more vulnerable to elite defenses. The aggressive Packers kept their heads spinning with assorted shifts, stunts, twists and blitzes.
Yes, Foles must regroup during the bye week and refocus on ball security. When the walls close in, he must discard the ball safely and not create such hazardous offensive waste. The most effective Rams passer Sunday was punter Johnny Hekker, who scrambled and found a secondary target while completing a 20-yard fake punt throw.
Yes, injuries are becoming a concern. The Rams really missed outside linebacker Alec Ogletree (broken leg bone) in this game, and the losses of Saffold and defensive end Chris Long (knee injury) are worrisome.
Yes, place kicker Greg Zuerlein must earn back his “Legatron” designation. His 50-yard field goal attempt was tipped, and he missed wide from 53 and 63 yards out. A team built on defense and power running must cash in those long kicks.
Yes, the defense must prevent the huge, game-changing plays. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson lost coverage on Rodgers’ 31-yard touchdown pass to Ty Montgomery and Lamarcus Joyner stumbled on James Jones’ 65-yard TD reception. Such lapses offset all the terrific defensive plays the Rams made to force turnovers and earn critical stops.
There is still plenty of work to do, starting in about two weeks against the Cleveland Browns at home. But Gurley makes things different. He just does.
There aren’t many running backs of his caliber in the NFL. He is a quantum leap forward from Tre Mason, Zac Stacy and the twilight era Steven Jackson.
“These guys believe in me,” Gurley said. “We’re running the ball. We’re doing a great job. We have to put stuff together and finish.”
Gurley’s ability to turn nothing plays into something creates more favorable down-and-distance situations. As the Rams showed last week while winning at Arizona, that can makes a huge difference.
“Once he hits that hole, he’s hitting it,” Foles said. “That is going to open up a lot of things.
“A lot of good things will happen going forward. We’ll keep working to be a complete offense. Our running game, that’s the start of it. You have a great running game in the NFL because the clock keeps moving and it wears down the defense. We’ll build off that for sure.”
