Todd Gurley scores first NFL touchdown; Rams defeat Browns 24-6

The St. Louis Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley shed his knee brace and defenders all afternoon in route to 128 rushing yards on 19 carries including his first two NFL touchdowns. Gurley would add 35 receiving yards on a handful of catches to help the Rams separate themselves from the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and move to 3-3 on the year.

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The St. Louis running game took it’s sweet time settling in against Cleveland, but once they did it was something of beauty. Gurley was effective up the middle and to the outside as he posted the vast majority of his yards in the second half. He ran without the knee brace for the first time all year long and it did not seem to have any ill-effects as the rookie was just 12 yards away from matching an NFL record of three consecutive 140-yard rushing efforts.

The St. Louis finally stepped up to the plate and defeated an opponent they were expected to beat. After a disappointing effort in Week 2 against the Washington Redskins, the dominating performance they put on against the Browns was reassuring to fans that head coach Jeff Fisher’s vision may finally be coming into focus.

Oct 25, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams defense has played very well all year long, yet still shouldered the blame heading into the afternoon. Many players on the defensive side of the ball voiced their disappointment with their effort and vowed to be better and to garner more turnovers and touchdowns. Well, it didn’t take long for them to make good on that.

Three minutes into the first quarter, corner back Janoris Jenkins blew up a bubble screen to Taylor Gabriel and safety Rodney McCleod picked it up for the scoop and score to put the Rams up 7-0. The Brown next possession ended with a strip sack by William Hayes that would lead to another three points to put the Rams up 10-0 early in the game. Turns out, that would be all they needed to put this one away.

The offensive line, minus Rodger Saffold due to a shoulder injury, continued to struggle. They could not provide adequate protection for quarterback Nick Foles who was under pressure most of the game. Gurley’s big day was much more a personal effort than it was a combined effort from his line. Knowing the line was going to be an issue at the start of the year, the Rams opted to go the route of rookies and the relative unknown. So far, they have managed to keep the ship afloat, but by no means has it been making the any positive waves.

Foles did what he could in the situation and managed the game well. He only managed passing yards on 15 completions, but did not turn the ball over. His receiving corps was nowhere to be found, as wide receiver Tavon Austin lead all receivers with 43-yards. Jared Cook did his best to throw away momentum when he fumbled a pass deep in the red zone on what was the Rams first quality drive of the game. It’s not time to hit the panic button yet, but St. Louis needs to find ways to get other players involved on offense because Gurley and Austin cannot carry this team for an entire season.

The defense was once again spectacular. On the day they would recover four fumbles, sack Josh McCown four times and did not allow a single offensive touchdown.

Oct 25, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams strong safety Mark Barron (26) tackles Cleveland Browns wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (18) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated Cleveland 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Without linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive end Chris Long, there was a shred of doubt as to whether or not this defense could maintain their dominant form. That question has been answered as Eugene Sims and William Hayes stepped up along the line and Mark Barron converted to linebacker for the afternoon.

There are still a few housekeeping notes. The Rams lost the time of possession battle once again this year. They have held the ball longer than their opponent only once all year. They also racked up nine penalties for 75 yards. Now, this wasn’t as bad as the Browns 11 pentacles for 98 yards, but the penalties are a clack eye on the Fisher regime as they have been one of the most pealed teams in the league since Fisher came on as head coach.

Finally, the St. Louis converted on just one third down situation all game long. Going 1 for 9 on the day keeps them in the bottom five teams in terms of season long conversion percentage on third down. This is something that needs to be addressed moving forward. The team needs to convert to sustain drives and keep their defense off the field. Too many times the defense will come up with a stop only to find themselves on the field two minutes later simply because Foles and the offense cannot convert on third down.

The Rams move to 3-3 with the win, and remain at 2-0 in the division. They will play host to division rival San Francisco 49ers next week at the Edward Jones Dome and follow that up with a trip out to Minnesota to play the Vikings. Two winnable games ahead for the Rams. They need to capitalize on their chances to continue to make a push for the playoffs.

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