The Los Angeles Rams were able to get back into the win column against the Chicago Bears in Week 11 thanks to a strong performance from running back Todd Gurley.
Rams head coach Sean McVay noted how much he regretted not getting Gurley more involved down the stretch during their Week 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It appears he was adamant about not making the same mistake for the second week in a row after registered 97 yards and a touchdown on a whopping 25 carries.
The heavy workload for Gurley was a pleasant surprise considering his lack of involvement throughout the course of the 2019 NFL season. It seems not even he knew what the game plan was until just before kickoff.
Gurley says McVay did not put him on notice until the game was about to start, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“Coach told me like 10 minutes before the game, and I was like, ‘Alright, time to get right,'” Gurley said. “He said we were going to pound the rock and be ready.”
Gurley added that it was nice to play like his old self again:
“I guess I felt like the old Todd, but it was cool,” Gurley said. “I’m just happy I was able to go out there and take advantage of my opportunities.”
There is no question that Gurley managed to do just that with his best rushing performance of the 2019 campaign against a formidable defense like the Bears. It was also the first time all season he managed to tally more than 100 yards from scrimmage after hauling in all three of his targets for 36 yards as well.
There had been plenty of speculation regarding Gurley’s usage being connected to a lingering knee issue he dealt with in the offseason. His underwhelming numbers only served to further solidify the notion that the Rams were no longer looking to lean on him in the run game.
Fortunately, Los Angeles has finally managed to show that Gurley is still more than capable of serving as the central force of this offense when they need him to be. More importantly, this approach helped them secure a much-needed win in a game that could have gone either way had it not been for their ability to grind out the clock.
Although the prospect of Gurley seeing this many touches on a consistent basis may seem far-fetched, it is still encouraging to see he is ready to go when the Rams call his number and is fresh for the back half of the season.
