Rams need to figure out how to increase Todd Gurley’s yards per carry

Todd Gurley returned to action for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

One week after missing a Week 6 battle against the San Francisco 49ers due to a quad injury, Todd Gurley was back in action for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday to help take down the Atlanta Falcons 37-10.

Believe it or not, Week 7 marked the most carries Gurley received in a single game (18) all season for the Rams, as the team made it clear a few months back they would be taking a different approach with their beloved running back to avoid his knee getting worse.

For the most part, Gurley’s play against the Falcons was pretty impressive, and fans are still talking about the acrobatic 13-yard touchdown catch he recorded from Jared Goff early on in the first quarter.

However, the 41 rushing yards on 18 carries is what should concern Rams fans the most since a running back with Gurley’s skill set shouldn’t be averaging just 2.3 yards per carry against a struggling defense in the Falcons.

Unlike the previous two seasons, the offensive line has been an issue for Los Angeles at times, and while this can be viewed as part of the reason behind Gurley’s struggles so far in 2019, it’s still frustrating to witness.

After starting off the new season on a strong note by rushing for 97 yards on 14 carries, Sunday actually marked the fifth game in a row Gurley averaged less than four yards per carry.

The Rams may appear to be in decent shape at the moment sitting at 4-3, but even they know the final two months of the regular season could be difficult if they find themselves playing catch up for the most part with the other teams within the NFC.

When Gurley is on top of his game, the Georgia product has proven to be one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NFL, and while it’s unfair to put the pressure on him, whether the Rams have what it takes to make the playoffs could fall on his shoulders.

Hopefully, the offensive line can figure out a way to improve moving forward on top of Jared Goff being more reliable to help put Gurley in better position to get that yards per carry average up.

Otherwise, the Rams could watch their streak of earning trips to the playoffs come to an end after two seasons.