Todd Gurley Is the Engine of this Offense
The 2017 Offensive Player of the Year is picking up right where he left off in 2018. Todd Gurley turned in another impressive performance against the Chargers on Sunday. He rushed 23 times for 105 yards and a touchdown while adding five catches for 51 yards receiving. Gurley averaged 4.6 yards per carry and tallied 29 of his rushing yards on the final drive to ice the game.
According to MMQB’s Andy Benoit, McVay and his staff have discovered the power of jet-action. More than any team now, the Rams put a receiver in fast motion before and/or during the snap. One defensive coach told me this offseason that dealing with jet-action is “an absolute bitch.” At least half a dozen other defensive coaches echoed this. Jet-action messes with a defense’s gap assignments. McVay builds run and pass plays that exploit this. And to ensure the defense keeps reacting with its gap assignments, he regularly hands the ball to the jet motion man. Wideouts Cooks, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods all have multiple carries this year.”
This constant motion drains defenders both physically and mentally with ever-changing gap responsibilities that must be accounted for. This deception translates into success late in the game. Gurley has accumulated 96 of his 255 rushing yards this season in the 4th quarter on an impressive 6.4 yards per carry. The Rams will continue to overwhelm their opponents with a variety of play calls to all the weapons at their disposal. Gurley is the linchpin to the balance in this offense.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezgqpRwzHYQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
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