Running game showing signs of life, but still sputtering

Running game showing signs of life, but still sputtering

RICH HAMMOND

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/gurley-732474-gratz-rams.html

LONDON – They’re all in this together, Rams star running back Todd Gurley and the five offensive linemen charged with improving a rushing attack that, through six games, has been stuck in neutral.

Gurley, the NFL’s third-leading rusher as a rookie last season, has totaled 346 yards in six games and isn’t even on pace to reach 1,000 yards.

The Rams have averaged 80.8 rushing yards per game, the fifth-worst mark in the NFL, and two of the four teams below them, Minnesota and the New York Giants – Sunday’s opponent in London – have lost their starting running backs to injury for significant stretches of time.

By all accounts, the Rams are making slow progress toward getting Gurley going, and Gurley hasn’t made a peep of complaint when it comes to his linemen, but guard Jamon Brown indicated some frustration Tuesday.

“It’s obviously a tough time, because Todd Gurley is an amazing football player,” Brown said. “But we knew, coming into this year, that a lot of people were going to be ready. They were going to load the box. They were going to do everything they could to contain him.”

Gurley rushed for 58 yards on 14 carries in Sunday’s loss to Detroit. That’s not great, but his average of 4.1 yards per carry was his best of the season, and Gurley also caught four passes for 39 yards.

Gurley was productive early in the Detroit game, but the Rams went away from him during the second half in part because of the hot hand of quarterback Case Keenum. For the first time this season, Gurley consistently was able to get to the line of scrimmage and find holes, rather than immediately being hit.

“The biggest thing for us, as offensive linemen,” Brown said, “is to not try to go outside of ourselves, but just to continue to work together and come together to try to open those holes and give him the opportunity he needs. Up to this point, I feel like we’re on the brink of making it happen.

“We’ve just got to keep working. Coach always tells us, those big runs come from the small, 2-yard, 3-yard gains. We’ll get those big gains.”

BACK AGAIN

New Rams cornerback Dwayne Gratz has spent more days in London than Los Angeles this season.

Gratz, claimed off waivers from Jacksonville last week, spent two days in Southern California before he left with the Rams to play Detroit. The team then continued on to London.

That’s where Gratz played his final game with the Jaguars, on Oct. 2 at Wembley Stadium. A week later, the Jaguars cut Gratz. Now, Gratz has returned to England with the Rams, and for a full week. East Coast travel being easier, the Jaguars flew into town only two days before their game at Wembley.

“We went there, long flight and had to fly right back,” Gratz said. “Now we have an opportunity to stay for a week so it’s going to be interesting.”

Gratz made a brief debut for the Rams on Sunday, appearing for two plays when Lamarcus Joyner recovered from a forearm injury. Gratz said he was disappointed by his release from Jacksonville, the team that drafted him in 2013, but excited about a fresh start.

“Any opportunity that you get is a better opportunity,” Gratz said. “I’d rather be here than being on the couch. The team seems to like me, so I’m going to do my best.”

LEARNING LONDON

Rookie receiver Mike Thomas said the team worked out Monday at the same facility where members of England’s national rugby team trained.

That led a British reporter to ask, somewhat cheekily, whether NFL players are tougher than rugby players. Thomas responded with a loud laugh.

“No, I heard rugby is pretty tough,” Thomas said. “That’s two different sports. I can’t call it. I’m looking forward to meeting the guys. I just saw them as a group. They seemed pretty tough.”

Reminded that rugby players don’t wear helmets, Thomas said, “I think they’re tougher than us. We’ve got on equipment. They’re just ready. So I think they’ve got it.”

Asked about the possibility of an expansion team in London, Thomas first said he thought it would be “cool.” Then he stopped to ponder the flight time from Los Angeles.

“What is that, 11 hours?” Thomas said. “I don’t know. That’s a lot of travel. I don’t know how the players would feel about that.”