Rams possibly starting C.J. Anderson in Week 16 shows safe approach

On Friday, Sean McVay discussed the possibility of starting C.J. Anderson if Todd Gurley is unable to go for the Los Angeles Rams.

Last weekend, the Los Angeles Rams received a little bit of a scare during their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles when Todd Gurley didn’t start the second half as a result of a knee injury.

Even though Gurley ended up returning to the contest towards the end of the third quarter, the Rams star running back has been listed as day-to-day this week as a result of the knee inflammation.

When compared to some of the other injuries to players across the league, Los Angeles knows just how lucky they are with Gurley’s appearing to be only minor.

However, the Rams find themselves in a bit of an interesting situation during these final two games of the regular season since as much as they want Gurley to play to make sure the No. 2 seed gets locked up, Sean McVay also understands the importance of the end game.

From a realistic perspective, there’s every reason to believe that Los Angeles will defeat the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers with ease, whether Gurley is involved or not.

With all due respect to the Cardinals and 49ers, McVay knows he’s in a rare position where he can afford to rest Gurley, and still feel confident in winning these final two games.

Not to mention, the Rams are in much better position at running back after signing veteran C.J. Anderson this week to provide some extra depth in the backfield.

The Rams may be Anderson’s third team this season following stints with the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders, but Los Angeles never would have brought him on board if they didn’t believe he could be a valuable member to the offense.

In fact, depending on how things play out with Gurley leading up to Sunday, Anderson could even earn the start in the backfield over John Kelly, which seems like the best move.

Some fans are outraged over the thought that Kelly would deserve to be the starter over Anderson, but McVay knows the Rams would be better off going with the veteran due to his experience.

The fact that Anderson knows a thing or two about winning a Super Bowl from his time with the Denver Broncos is just one of many reasons why Los Angeles was willing to bring him on board during this final stretch.

If Anderson can provide the necessary production to help the Rams win these final two games if Gurley were to rest while putting the team in a better position to earn a first-round bye, this would be the best case scenario for Los Angeles.

Of course, whether this actually happens will come down to how Gurley looks leading up to the game. But if the Rams were smart, they would take advantage of having Anderson to fill in to make sure Gurley is ready to go for when it matters the most come January when the playoffs get underway.