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Former Georgia RB Todd Gurley says he and Rams o-line must be ‘more physical’
By Cody McClure
Published:
If you play fantasy football, you’re well aware of former Georgia star Todd Gurley’s potential as a running back. But that potential has been lacking recently.
Gurley’s NFL team, the Los Angeles Rams, appear to be vastly improved on offense this season. But at least in Week 1, that was because of the passing game — not the running game. Gurley had just 40 yards on 19 carries in the Week 1 blowout over the Indianapolis Colts.
“Gurley was one of the NFL’s least productive runners in his second season, which came on the heels of being named the 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year,” a report from ESPN stated. “And those hopeful of a Gurley turnaround didn’t get that against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, triggering concerns about whether his head-scratching struggles will drag into 2017.”
The Rams apparently believe that defenses are still preparing to stop Gurley and make quarterback Jared Goff beat them through the air, the ESPN report said. Running lanes could open up for Gurley more often depending on how successful the passing game is.
“I think definitely they’re going to try to challenge us and make us show that we can do it through the air,” Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said.
Gurley did have a couple of big runs that were negated by penalties. If the flags hadn’t been thrown, Gurley would have had around 66 rushing yards.
“We’ve just got to be more physical, whether me, just everybody,” Gurley said. “We’ve just all got to do our job and just go out there and execute. At the end of the day, I’ve got to win my one-on-ones, receivers got to win their one-on-ones, linemen got to win their one-on-ones, tight ends got to win their one-on-ones.”
Gurley gained rushed for 885 rushing yards last season, which was evidently the fewest ever for someone with at least 275 carries.
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
