Sean McVay insisted that running back Todd Gurley would get going in Week 4. However, by the end of the Los Angeles Rams' 55-40 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that wasn't the case. Gurley received five carries and seven receptions (11 targets) for a total of 70 total yards and two touchdowns; a far cry from his 22.5 touches per game in 2018.
McVay explained his lack of carries in Week 4, saying, via Cameron DaSilva of USA Today.
“We wanted to get him involved. Really, we had five penalties in the first 20 plays, too. When you’re getting some of those false starts, now you’re in first-and-15. The approach and the way that we ended up kind of wanting to attack those guys ended up being a little bit altered just based on the way the flow of the game played out. He gets involved, he has a couple touchdowns, has seven catches. You could see we did want to try and get him involved early. And really, any touch that we can get the ball in Todd’s hands we feel like is a good thing.”
As DaSilva notes, the Rams didn't use a single carry by a back until five minutes left in the first half. While the Rams were down 21 at one point, they certainly had the opportunity to get the ball into Gurley's hands.
Ultimately, Gurley has recorded just one 100+ total yard game (Week 1) through four weeks. He has the chance to change that in Week 5 when the Rams face the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.
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