Gurley

[Red_Chaos]

Before the game he suppose to be out the first three weeks, now he might play next week.

trying to scare the opponent maybe?

 

[Vitamike]

Before the game he suppose to be out the first three weeks, now he might play next week.

No reason to show your hand so the opposition can totally prepare for what you plan to bring to the contest.

I like the sentence 'not ruling him out' or words put together like you have like 'might play'

trying to scare the opponent maybe?

Or maybe even this tatic.

Both work for me.

Bottom line, I believe Fisher wont start him unless he feels he can go 100%

 

[zeke2829]

Gurley is ready now. The question is, is our o-line ready? are they playing well? I think Fisher is letting our o-line gel so they will be in sync when Gurley does play.

 

[Jermaine133]

So who will be the back on sun, Benny? We seriously need to establish the run during this game because 45 yds isn't going to cut it. My only fear is that we come out flat, and play inconsistent like the past. Sorry to be a debbie downer but I don't want to my first potential rams game to be a let down.

 

[shopson67]

Still waiting to hear if Mason can play this weekend as well. That would put Gurley on the back burner for at least another week...

 

[zeke2829]

Mason should be back! I hope.

 

[Retroram52]

Maybe they will call-up Malcolm Brown from the PS. Man would I like to see them suit up Eric Dickerson. We could use a guy like him even in his present state of physicality.

 

[Stomp]

 

[Battlelyon]

106 yards rushing in the 4th quarter, sick

 

[zeke2829]

106 yards rushing in the 4th quarter, sick

Yah....this game alone tabs Gurley as our top runner for the year so far!

 

[whywork2]

I'm just sick, I debated for a couple of days to pick him up in my fantasy league, couldn't believe he came available. No chance of that happening now. I set it up more than once and just didn't make the final click since I didn't know who to cut. Oh Fudddgge! Looks like Duke Johnson is the next man up.

 

[chy1127]

106 yards rushing in the 4th quarter, sick

With the game on the line and the defense knowing we were going to run. Nice!

 

[Clayton]

AD 2.0 maybe better

I was comparing him to OJ Simpson before the draft but Gurley has excellent vision and hits holes with a vengeance. Its good to see him on the field, thats for sure

 

[Battlelyon]

Todd Gurley was the most talented player in the 2015 NFL draft.

He may have fallen to the St. Louis Rams at the 10th overall pick, but when solely considering ability, Gurley was the best player available. Character concerns are often what causes an extremely talented player to fall, but that wasn't the case with Gurley.

Instead, Gurley had question marks over his positional value and his health. The running back who excelled at Georgia was coming off of a torn ACL during the draft process. His rehab stretched into the preseason, preventing Gurley from getting onto the field.

The Rams were patient with their top pick. He took part in individual drills before being cleared to partake in team activities. Contact wasn't immediately permitted, but he was gradually upgraded to that level.

It took Gurley until Week 3 of the regular season to see the field during an actual game. The running back endured a frustrating, quiet debut, as he carried the ball just six times for nine yards. It was a performance that didn't deter his head coach, though.

Jeff Fisher drew ire from many for his comments about Gurley's performance after that game.

Via Tom Pellissero, Fisher said after the game that Gurley ran "very well" and that it could have been "six carries for 79 yards." That kind of comment from a coach with Fisher's reputation for sustained mediocrity painted a poor picture.

However, it was an accurate picture. Gurley was close to breaking off big gains on a couple of his touches during his debut. Some illogical decisions from individual blockers were the difference between finding space and being bottled up by the defense.

It wouldn't take long for Fisher's words to prove prophetic though.

Gurley got his first full workload in Week 4. He carried the ball four times for just two yards in the first half but finished the game with 19 carries for 146 yards. He could, and arguably should, have had dramatically more yards but chose to stay in bounds twice late in the game to unselfishly help seal his team's victory.

Even while curtailing his gains late on, Gurley still posted runs of 23, 12, 52, 20 and 30 yards in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have a strong all-around defense that mixes disciplined power upfront and explosiveness in the back-seven.

For Gurley, that didn't prove to be an obstacle as much as it was an opportunity to highlight his skill set.

His special skill set.





Credit: NFL.com


Gurley's first big gain came midway through the third quarter. It was a well-executed cutback play where the running back only had to follow his blocking to reach the second level. Gurley showed comfort redirecting his feet and patience to stay behind his lead blocker.

There was nothing extraordinary about Gurley's initial actions.





Credit: NFL.com


He was patient long enough for his fullback to engage the edge defender. The fullback initially did well but couldn't seal the edge. This meant that Gurley had to accelerate around the recovering defender as he approached the line of scrimmage.

This is where Gurley's skill set stood out.

The running back very easily switched through his gears so that he accelerated into a sprint within one or two steps. He left the edge defender grasping at air as he advanced downfield into space. Once downfield, he was squared up against a deep safety.

Gurley made the safety miss by aggressively accelerating past his left shoulder. He was tackled by a recovering defensive back from the outside but not before he had gained 23 yards.

It was this kind of patience, decisiveness and explosiveness that made Gurley such a productive player at Georgia and such an appealing prospect during the draft. On a relatively well-executed play, Gurley was able to maximize the yardage his offense could gain.

The Rams recognized Gurley's efforts on this play and immediately went back to him on the following snap.





Credit: NFL.com


For Gurley, this was a more taxing assignment. The Rams ran a stretch zone run to the right. Gurley followed the flow of his offensive line initially, but a cutback lane immediately opened up to his inside. The running back's eyes were to the outside, but he was reading the positioning of the defenders.

Gurley recognized the cutback lane in front of him and approached it correctly.

He didn't attempt to make one aggressive cut back infield. Instead, he used shorter steps to continue with the flow of the offensive line before turning back through the hole. This kept the defensive line moving towards the opposite sideline.

As Gurley approached the line of scrimmage, a pursuing backside defender attempted to lunge at his waist to bring him to the ground. The rookie showed off his strength and balance, as he brushed off the tackle attempt to continue downfield at speed.

On the second level of the defense, Gurley was again able to make the safety miss in space. He only gained 12 yards on the play because once again, he was pulled down by a recovering defender as he skipped past the safety's shoulder.

Gurley is a big back. He is officially listed at 6'1" and 227 pounds. Although he appears to be lighter now than he was before his ACL tear, Gurley would still classify as a power back.

Power backs aren't supposed to boast the kind of footwork that he does.





Credit: NFL.com


On this play, Gurley is given another designed cutback carry. Although the play is designed to trap defensive linemen downfield, the Rams blocking lets the two interior defenders of the Cardinals move further downfield than they would like.

As a heavy back, counter runs are difficult to execute because they require nimble feet. Gurley should theoretically be in danger of being tackled behind the line of scrimmage on this play.





Credit: NFL.com


Not only does Gurley show off nimble feet that allow him to quickly change direction and maintain his balance as he angles toward the outside, he is able to get skinny through the hole to avoid a potential tackle from the unblocked edge defender.

His outstanding footwork and balance allows him to get back to the line of scrimmage.

At the line of scrimmage, Gurley is confronted by another unblocked defender. This time, he has to make an aggressive cut back infield by planting his right foot away from his body. Gurley does this comfortably and falls forward with the defender grabbing his feet for a five-yard gain.

Early in the fourth quarter, Gurley had his longest gain of the game.





Credit: NFL.com


The Rams had used Tavon Austin in different ways during the game to varying effect. Austin led the team in receiving and scored two touchdowns as a receiver but also had two rushes and was motioned around the field repeatedly.

Austin's presence on this 52-yard gain would be hugely important for Gurley.

Before the ball is snapped, the Cardinals have seven defenders in the box. The Rams have a sixth blocker in the backfield, an off-set fullback who is actually tight end Jared Cook. When the ball is snapped, the Rams fake an end-around to Austin, which holds two backside defenders.





Credit: NFL.com


The pre-snap alignment and the motion at the snap give the Rams the opportunity to block one-on-one as Gurley runs to space off of left tackle. He has to make a read as he gets to the line of scrimmage and the running back swerves behind his center without slowing down.

This quick decision and movement allows him to break into the second level with ease.





Credit: NFL.com


Gurley's speed takes away the angle of the outside defensive back. Gurley fluidly adjusts his body to swerve around that defender's desperation attempt at tackling the running back. From there, he is facing a deep safety.

The safety closes towards Gurley, but as soon as the running back bends his run towards the sideline, he is in trouble.

At this point of the play, Gurley is at full tilt. The safety has no opportunity to close his shoulder to the rookie, so his odds of getting the running back to the ground are already miniscule. When he extends an arm, Gurley swats it away as he continues downfield for a huge gain.

Only a great recovery from Tyrann Mathieu working across the field prevents Gurley from running in the end zone for the first touchdown of his career.

Gurley's top speed proved to be incredible in college. He was Georgia's kickoff returner and showed off his long speed on more than one occasion. It's not unreasonable to think that the back would have outran Mathieu if he was further away from his ACL recovery.

His long speed was shown off with two runs that combined for 50 yards when the Rams were closing the game out late in the fourth quarter.

On both plays, Gurley showed off his transitional speed behind the line of scrimmage, from diagnosing what is in front of him to attacking the space. His first play saw him set up his blocking to break through the middle of the defense, while his second saw him immediately recognize that he could escape around the edge for a long play.

If Todd Gurley has a flaw as a running back, it's exceptionally well hidden.

He is a diverse technician with a physical skill set that can only be mirrored by a handful of backs in the NFL. Gurley allows his offense to be more creative and diverse with the running plays they call, while his blocking will be made to look better by his actions both before and after the line of scrimmage.

Everything about Gurley suggests that he is going to be the NFL's next great running back.

 

[Sportsdude101]

The Packers better watch out for this guy, he's a game changer.

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

The more I watch his highlights from last week, I'm just so impressed. I know its only one game, but if what we saw last week is for real, we might have something REALLY special here. The burst through the hole, the ability to avoid/break tackles, the speed/quickness, the power.... Such a rare combination in one player...

 

[Retroram52]

The Rams are lining up Harkey as the Fullback De Facto and running Gurley out of the I formation. This is the new/old smashmouth line-'em-up-and-run-it-down-your-throat offense going retro I suggested a time ago. Is Fisher starting a new trend? Who in the NFL runs the I formation with any regularity? No one. This is old school and now we have the massive O-line that can pull this off. And with the threat of Austin and Foles going deep, Gurley and our O-line are going to kick some serious ass.

I hope this takes off and we roll into opponents' towns and put the fear of the Almighty in them. My Retro heart is warmed as THIS is the way the Rams use to play along time ago. Crushing and talented O; crushing and talented D. Could it be we are on our way? WE SHALL SEE, Stay tuned!!

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

The Rams are lining up Harkey as the Fullback De Facto and running Gurley out of the I formation. This is the new/old smashmouth line-'em-up-and-run-it-down-your-throat offense going retro I suggested a time ago. Is Fisher starting a new trend? Who in the NFL runs the I formation with any regularity? No one. This is old school and now we have the massive O-line that can pull this off. And with the threat of Austin and Foles going deep, Gurley and our O-line are going to kick some serious ass.

I hope this takes off and we roll into opponents' towns and put the fear of the Almighty in them. My Retro heart is warmed as THIS is the way the Rams use to play along time ago. Crushing and talented O; crushing and talented D. Could it be we are on our way? WE SHALL SEE, Stay tuned!!

Just reading this gets me excited!!!

 

[Jermaine133]

I'm not getting my hope up yet...this is still a Jeff Fisher led team.. Once I see him run like the wind blows on Sunday then I'll believe in the hype. Rams always seem to play well against division opponents but revert back to stupidity and ineptitude the following week. Sorry I'm just numb to the bullshit with this team. If they get a dub on Sun, then i'll claim them to be world beaters.

 

[Battlelyon]