Statistic shows unlike Fisher, McVay knows how to use Gurley at receiver for Rams

It’s amazing to see the difference in Todd Gurley’s numbers with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay when compared to Jeff Fisher.

Without question, the best decision the Los Angeles Rams ever made last season was to fire Jeff Fisher when they did because otherwise, it never would have led to the hiring of Sean McVay. Making the former offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins the youngest head coach in NFL history was a bold move for a team coming off a four-win season, but with McVay leading his team to a NFC West title in 2017, this risk has paid off in ways the Rams never could have imagined.

Unlike Fisher, McVay actually knows how to get the best out of his players on offense, and after seeing all of his success from the previous two years working with Kirk Cousins, Los Angeles was excited to see if the same could be done with Jared Goff. The former California star received a ton of unfair criticism as a rookie after failing to win a game in seven starts, but luckily Goff quickly bought into what McVay was selling on offense, and it worked wonders during his first full year under center. Along with Goff, Todd Gurley has benefited in big ways from playing in McVay’s system, and just like his beloved quarterback, the running back has been enjoying the kind of bounce back season that has helped worked his way into the MVP conversation.

While Goff received some benefit of the doubt for his struggles in 2016 since he was a rookie, Gurley had been written off by many after failing to record a single 100-yard rushing game, although it wasn’t entirely his fault since the Rams didn’t do the best of jobs with providing a reliable offensive line. Not to mention, Los Angeles found themselves trailing for a majority of most games, meaning Gurley wouldn’t receive as many carries.

Related Story: 3 storylines for Rams and 49ers in Week 17

One year later, Gurley is having the best season of his young career thanks to McVay. And as much credit as McVay deserves for what he’s been able to get out of Gurley in the backfield, the Rams head coach should be proud over the production he’s been able to get from his star running back as a receiver too.

Fisher was always criticized for not always figuring out how to use the weapons on offense to his advantage, but seeing the comparison in receiving yards for Gurley under McVay are insane. When seeing how Gurley’s numbers in the passing game are better than some of the top receivers in the league, it’s no wonder the Rams running back is a heavy MVP favorite all of a sudden.