This year we have had more third and 4, third and 2 downs then third and 12 (or even third and 7). It is much easier to gain a minimum of 3 or 4 yards for a first than to gain a minimum of 10 yards for a first. Second we have receivers with better hands. There are a lot fewer drops this year than last. Third, we have smarter players and a better design to the offense. Over the last few years, the rams would often get 6 when needing 7 for a first (or 8 when needing 9). Now the plays are drawn up to get the necessary yardage. Also the multiple options lead to a nice match up somewhere. Previously we rarely had a match up we could exploit. Finally, Goff has a lot more time to survey the field before throwing the ball, last year he often had to throw the ball before he was ready to. He also seemed to be a mental step behind a lot last year and would get hit before he figured out where to go with the ball.
So yes, having Gurley as a option to either handoff to or to pass to has helped on third downs, but there are a lot of other factors that are also driving the rams' improvement.
