Subscribe
Follow Us
This weekend may end up being the biggest test of the season for Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley.
Why? Because the Rams will be playing the 0-7 Cincinnati Bengals, a team that is allowing 189 rushing yards per game, which ranks dead last in the NFL. They are surrendering 5.2 yards per rushing attempt, which also ranks last in the league.
This past Sunday, Leonard Fournette shredded the Bengals to the tune of 131 yards. Lamar Jackson dropped 152 on them two weeks ago. Kyler Murray, David Johnson, and Chase Edmonds combined for 252 in Week 5.
The list goes on and on when it comes to the amount of times Cincinnati's run defense has been gashed this year, so if Gurley can't get himself going in Week 8, we may as well just write his season off as a lost cause.
Gurley struggled once again in Week 7, carrying the ball 18 times for just 41 yards in a 37-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Since averaging 6.9 yards per carry in Week 1, Gurley has failed to register four yards per attempt once.
On the season overall, the 25-year-old has carried the ball 82 times for 311 yards, good for 3.8 yards per tote. Yes, he has scored five touchdowns on the ground, with four of those coming in Weeks 4 and 5, but otherwise, he has been anemic.
It seems blatantly obvious that Gurley is not 100 percent. The knee issue that knocked him out of the final two regular-season games of 2018 and limited him in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl is clearly still lingering, and it doesn't help matters much that he also missed Week 6 with a quad issue.
For that reason, it would not be the least bit surprising if Gurley once again posts an underwhelming performance against the lowly Bengals, because the guy just isn't healthy.
But this is his chance to prove that there is hope for him the rest of the season, and for Fantasy Football owners everywhere, it's his chance to have a big week and bring back memories of his former dominance.
If you were ever going to start Gurley in your Fantasy league, this is the week to do it. The Bengals have been absolutely brutal against the run all season, so this is a great time to take a chance on the three-time Pro Bowler.
Is there any reason to be 100 percent confident that Gurley will have a significant performance? No, because, again, he doesn't look right. If the knee is still a problem, it doesn't matter who his opponent is.
But if you have him on your roster, you are not going to have a better opportunity to start him and hope for results than you will have in Week 8.
Perhaps the Rams will even utilize Gurley in the passing game a bit more, because Cincy's defense is just horrendous all around and has been ravaged by injuries to boot.
Taking all of that into consideration, there is a possibility that Gurley has a decent game.
Just don't count on it. Not even against the Bengals.
