St. Louis Rams: Career Day Coming For Todd Gurley

Todd Gurley is coming off back-to-back games with 145-plus yards rushing against two of the top teams in the NFC – the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. This week, coming off the St. Louis Rams’ Bye Week, Gurley will be facing off against the worst run defense in the NFL in the Cleveland Browns. Even though it will be just his 4th NFL game, expect a career day for Gurley this Sunday.

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After starting his NFL career with a disappointing nine-yard performance, Gurley has burst onto the scene to the tune of 314 yards on 55 carries – a staggering 5.7 yards per carry average. This has Gurley second among NFL rookies, trailing Thomas Rawls’ 334 yards. Gurley is tied for 3rd in yards per carry, trailing just Alonzo Harris and Marcus Mariota. With Harris having just two carries, Gurley essentially is tied with Rawls for the rookie lead in yards per carry.

Oct 4, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs for a first down as Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell (93) pursues during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

With the Browns coming to town this week, Gurley is well rested and facing a defense that has health concerns.

The Browns were without linebacker Craig Robertson (Ankle) and defensive backs Joe Haden (Concussion/Finger) and Tashaun Gipson (Ankle) due to injury while defensive linemen Danny Shelton (Knee) and John Hughes III (Knee) and linebackers Tank Carder (Shoulder) and Nate Orchard (Groin) were limited due to injury.

Where Gurley and the Rams will be able to take advantage of the Cleveland defense is off tackle. The Browns showed significant struggles defending the off-tackle run in their Week 6 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.

This was evident on an 11-yard run from Ronnie Hillman, where the Browns defense was drawn towards a misdirection. This allowed the right side of the Denver offensive line to seal the edge, allowing Hillman to cut back for a seven-yard gain.

The Rams can take advantage of this by using misdirection in their off-tackle plays as well. They have used it multiple times in the past two games, including on a 52-yard run from Todd Gurley in the Rams Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams used Tavon Austin on a misdirection, faking the reverse while handing the ball to Gurley on an off-tackle play.

Gurley hit the hole hard and followed the kickoff blocks of Greg Robinson, Jamon Brown (86) and Tim Barnes (61). Gurley uses his athleticism to make the safety miss and break the long run.

With the Rams starting to consistently block for Gurley, the ability to use misdirection and the current injury status of the Cleveland defense – expect Gurley to have a career day this week. Gurley has ample opportunity to break the 145-yard barrier again, and find the end zone for the first time in his NFL career.

Next: Week 7 Quarterback Rankings

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