Todd Gurley doubtful for Week 6 puts more pressure on offense for Rams

The Los Angeles Rams could be without Todd Gurley’s for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.

While the Los Angeles Rams made it clear in the offseason they would be taking a different approach with Todd Gurley for the 2019 season, no one expected the running back to see the kind of limited action he’s seen through the first five games.

Normally, Gurley tends to be a workhorse at running back, but after the NFC Championship and Super Bowl made it clear that something was going on with his knee, the Rams have been doing their best to make sure they don’t overwork him on offense.

From giving him a separate offseason workout to only seeing 64 touches over the first five games, 2019 has certainly been different for Gurley, but also somewhat frustrating.

Clearly, Gurley is dealing with something, and Los Angeles isn’t making the situation any easier to deal with by continuing to act like all is well since a running back with his skill set should see around 20 carries per game.

Take a look at two weeks ago when Gurley only received just five carries in a key game at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it’s clear that something is going on.

To top the frustration off, Gurley of all players seemed like he would benefit from a few extra days off since Los Angeles played on a Thursday during Week 5, but now it looks like he may not even get to play at all due to a quad injury.

Sean McVay has taken plenty of heat in recent weeks for not allowing Los Angeles to be more balanced on offense with a stronger ground game, but the Rams head coach may have to flip the switch on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

Assuming that nothing changes over the next 48 hours, and Gurley is forced to sit out, Los Angeles will have no choice other than turning to Malcolm Brown as the top running back along with rookie Darrell Henderson in the No. 2 spot.

Plenty of Rams fans have questioned McVay for not using Brown or Henderson as much in the ground game to take some of the pressure off Gurley, but now it looks like they could finally see the two in action more come Sunday.

After dropping two key games in a row to the Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles was already facing a ton of extra pressure entering Week 6 to make sure they avoid panic mode by dropping to 3-3.

But if Gurley ends up being out as early signs indicate, that pressure surrounding the Rams could end up hitting new levels since the 49ers were already going to be a difficult challenge to begin with.