Who is the key to this Los Angeles Rams offensive explosion?
November 5, 2017 by William Boyd
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Throughout this season, the Los Angeles Rams have been putting up massive point total after massive point total. As a Rams fan who has watched them for a long time, seeing these kinds of offensive numbers brings us back to the Greatest Show on Turf days. Back then, the key for the Rams offensive success was Kurt Warner. Now, the offense is centered around Todd Gurley.
Earlier today, the Los Angeles Rams ran away with the game against the New York Giants by a score of 51-17. Although there were more passing yards than rushing yards, it is apparent that the Rams run their offense through Todd Gurley. Gurley touched the ball on 18 total plays, running the ball 16 times and catching it twice. He had a total of 105 yards (59 rushing, 45 receiving). These stats do not say the total impact he has had on this team.
Gurley came into the league on fire three years ago. The Rams traded up to get him and he has been critical for the offense ever since then. During his rookie year, Gurley had 1,106 yards rushing and 10 total touchdowns. He teetered off tremendously last year, running for almost 300 yards less. This was because of the offense that Gurley was in. He was given the ball on plays where he was running up the middle, which is not ideal for running backs like him.
Gurley is a running back that is versatile, not a pound it up the middle type of guy. Head coach Sean McVay has used him like he should be this year. Using him out of the backfield to set up Jared Goff. Gurley is the “veteran” of the offense and knows how the guys work. He has been the one constant over the past three years. So, McVay wanted to come into this year and allow his offense to be focused on one guy, and that guy was Gurley.
By focusing the offense on Gurley, it opens up more facets of the field. Right now, Jared Goff is still getting comfortable in McVay’s offense. And at the beginning of the season, Goff did not know the offense. So, McVay turned to Gurley to carry the load. As the season has progressed, Gurley’s carries has decreased, but he was critical to this success. When Gurley is getting the ball, the defenses have to plan around him.
When the defenses need to plan around Gurley, the Rams go to the air, and that has been extremely successful. Goff has been a pleasant surprise in how well he has taken up the offense. He has targets all over the field. Opening up the passing game has given the Rams another surprise: the emergence of Gurley in the passing game.
Just this season alone, Gurley has almost surpassed his career-high in receiving yards. He has currently 293, with his career-high being 327. Giving Goff that extra option out of the backfield has been crucial to Goff’s success. Once again, Gurley being critical to the offensive success of the Rams. With his running game opening up the field for Goff, Gurley then can have an impact in the receiving game like he hasn’t before. McVay must continue to give the ball to Gurley, so that defenses plan around him, allowing Jared Goff to continue his success in the passing game.
Without Todd Gurley, the Rams would barely be a .500 football team. Gurley has given Sean McVay the tools necessary on offense to make him thrive as a NFL coach. McVay came in as an inexperienced coach, but Gurley has given McVay that type of safety blanket each coach needs when entering the NFL. With Jared Goff improving every game and Todd Gurley being so critical to the offense, this Rams team could be a scary one as they continue their push for their first playoff berth since 2004.
