While suffering a very disappointing loss on Sunday to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley was given only five rushing attempts the entire game. It is mind boggling that the back who many considered to be the best in the game just last season was only able to rush the ball five times out of the backfield.
Out of those five carries, Gurley was able to get into the end zone twice, having only one rushing score in the previous three games. On paper and from a fantasy perspective, Gurley had a good game including his seven receptions for 54 yards, but the Rams did't come out of a home game with a win.
Sunday made it abundantly clear that the Rams don't have the same kind of explosiveness as a team if Gurley cannot touch the ball more than 15 times. Gurley's lack of touches led to Jared Goff throwing the ball 68 times. That is not a typo, Goff dropped back to throw 68 times on Sunday, which was the third most all time for a player in a single game. Those 68 drop backs led to three interceptions and a fumble.
It is hard to win a game when your quarterback turns the ball over four times, and even harder when you only hand the ball off to a total of 10 times to your first- and second-string running backs.
While head coach Sean McVay decided to only give the ball to Gurley five times for 16 yards, most likely to not further damage the reported arthritis Gurley has in his knee, his healthy backup Malcolm Brown only got the ball five times for 14 yards himself. The lack of handing the ball off and have Goff just sling it seemed to be the game plan on Sunday.
For a guy that just recently turned 25, was seemingly unstoppable for the last few years, and just got a new contract, seeing him slowly become less and less involved in an offense that was tailor-made for him to dominate and execute explosive plays is saddening.
With the Seattle Seahawks looming next week, Gurley's job will not get any easier as the Seahawks have one of the top run defenses in the league. We will see if his roll continues to diminish or if McVay decides to feed one of their most valuable players the ball.