[Elvis]

https://theathletic.com/1434267/2019/12 ... =twittered

‘Idiot’ Sean McVay understands that Todd Gurley needs to get the ball

By Rich Hammond Dec 4, 2019

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Sean McVay is not an idiot.

Never mind the Seahawks, 49ers or any other team. McVay’s biggest challenge this season has been in trying to convince skeptics that there’s nothing askew with running back Todd Gurley. McVay apparently is just a moronic coach who regularly forgets to call plays for his star player, one with 2,000-yard potential.

That’s essentially what McVay has been saying, sometimes in jest — like Wednesday, when he joked that the reason for Gurley’s recent increase in usage was “me not being an idiot” — but often with sincerity. Week after week, when Gurley totaled anywhere from five to 15 carries, McVay stood before reporters after the game and said that, gosh, he just didn’t do a good job of getting Gurley the ball. His bad. Sure.

It’s been almost a full year since The Great Gurley Debate started. During a game against Philadelphia on Dec. 16, 2018, something happened with Gurley’s left knee. He had 22 touches that night, a total not again matched until last month. McVay and Gurley essentially are the only two high-profile people in the organization who haven’t at least tacitly acknowledged some sort of management plan for Gurley this season.

The more pertinent question became: Was Gurley physically incapable of handling major carries, or were the Rams preserving him early in the year with designs on a late-season workload push?

Welcome to judgment day. The Rams, for all practical purposes, need a victory Sunday night against Seattle at the Coliseum to keep their wild-card playoff hopes alive. Their best path to victory, as evidenced by the Rams’ five games against the Seahawks under McVay, is to give the ball to Gurley.

The Rams have a 3-2 record against Seattle since the start of the 2017 season. In the three victories, Gurley averaged 19.7 carries and 116.3 yards. In the two losses, he averaged 14.5 carries and 47.0 yards.

Teams usually throw the ball more when they’re trailing, but it’s not as though the Rams got blown out in either defeat. They lost 16-10 early in the 2017 season, then lost 30-29 this October in what was a close game throughout. Gurley had 15 carries while quarterback Jared Goff attempted 49 passes.

The Rams need to ride Gurley on Sunday. The Seahawks are far from porous when it comes to run defense, but they do rank in the bottom third of the league in yards against per carry. And they have allowed 13 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for third-most in the league.

Seattle also has had trouble covering tight ends, but given the still-uncertain status of Gerald Everett — the Rams’ top downfield threat at tight end who missed last week’s game with a knee injury and was listed as “did not participate” in Wednesday’s walk-through — the Rams would be wise to ride Gurley.

But can they? Gurley had 25 carries and three receptions against Chicago in a 17-7 home win on Nov. 17. The following week, he totaled only nine touches in a 45-6 blowout loss to Baltimore. But don’t read too much into that Ravens game, which was an out-of-whack outing for pretty much every Rams player and coach. Last Sunday against Arizona, Gurley had 19 carries and one reception before he left the 34-7 victory early in the fourth quarter.

Gurley has not recorded at least 20 touches in consecutive games since early November 2018. The three-time Pro Bowler, who typically speaks with reporters on Thursdays, was not available for comment on Wednesday, but those around him insist that he’s ready for a major role against Seattle and is capable of executing it.

“I think we just want to continue to establish the run, for sure,” Goff said. “I think that’s definitely part of what we want to do — always has been, always will be. He’s a big part of that, and as long as he’s playing running back for us, I expect that to be the case. He’s doing a good job, and I think he’s excited for it.”

Gurley has not recorded a 100-yard game this season, although he certainly would have Sunday if the Rams kept him in during the fourth quarter. Gurley finished with 95 yards and averaged 5.0 yards per carry for only the third time this year. Gurley also had a 20-yard reception, his second-longest of the season.

The Rams totaled 132 yards on the ground, their most since 166 in the season opener at Carolina.

“I think the most important factor in that question is that we’ve had efficiency when we have run the ball,” run-game coordinator Aaron Kromer said. “When you have efficiency, you can hand it to the running back again because it is second-and 4, second-and-6. You might have gotten a first down, and now you’re in a situation where you can hand the ball off again or have a hard play-action fake.

“That’s when the games have not worked in our favor that way. We haven’t been able to do that. I don’t think there’s ever been a choice not to give someone the ball. It was a choice that the game brought upon us as it unfolded.”

This is interesting, and not something previously mentioned by a Rams coach. The Rams this season are averaging 4.37 yards per carry when they run the ball in first-and-10 situations. That’s 13th-best in the league. A year ago, they averaged 5.5 yards on first-and-10 runs. However, in 2017, the Rams averaged only 4.36 yards on first-and-10 runs, so that’s not the only answer to the run-game problem.

Kromer probably is onto something here, though. Last week against the Cardinals, the Rams averaged 5.25 yards on first-and-10 runs. That set up, as Kromer mentioned, a lot of play-action attempts, and the Cardinals bit hard on a lot of them. For the first time in a long time, the Rams offense looked like its former, productive self, with solid balance and the opposing defense kept off-balance.

What does that mean for this week? The Seahawks allow an average of 3.94 yards on first-and-10 runs, which is pretty solid. If they can maintain that success against the Rams, particularly early in the game, McVay will need to avoid the temptation to go away from the run, as sometimes happens with him.

“You don’t want to make the same mistakes that you ended up making earlier on in the season,” McVay said, in part referencing the Rams’ loss to Pittsburgh, in which Gurley vanished in the fourth quarter even though he’d been running well.

So yes, there are times when McVay’s self-criticism is valid. Gurley’s usage is not one of those times. Even Goff grinned and rolled his eyes Wednesday when McVay’s “idiot” comment was relayed — “He’s being hard on himself,” Goff said — and the truth about Gurley’s situation probably will never get fully revealed.

McVay did push back against one idea, though — one that suggested the Rams, as part of strategy, limited Gurley early in the season so that he would be fresh for December.

“No, no, it has nothing to do with that,” McVay said. “It was really just, you’re just kind of working through the 2019 season — the best way to utilize all of our players and figuring out what our identity is. I think we’re still working through that, but (it) didn’t have anything to do with (load management). Shoot, we’re just trying to win a game. So, certainly it wasn’t ever with the mindset of looking ahead before anything was accomplished.”

[AvengerRam]

[snackdaddy]

I wouldn't call McVay an idiot. But I'm glad he realizes how much he needs Gurley to make this offense work. Now feed him more in the redzone. The first two times they got in the redzone Sunday they didn't run Gurley and settled for FG attempts. Missed one.

[snackdaddy]

I just watched Gurley's press conference today. Classic Gurley. A reporter asked Gurley about McVay's "Idiot" comment. Gurley reponds "He said it. I didn't".

[Hacksaw]

That's not a resounding endorsement of McV but seeing the thread title is starting to bug me..
I don't see 'McVay' and 'idiot' appropriately used in the same sentence....

[R4L]

So, 5 games from the end of the season and McVay realizes Gurley needs to get the rock with the playoffs pretty much a pipe dream at this point?

Maybe he should have done that with 10 games remaining and they wouldn't be watching the playoffs from the couch.

[Elvis]

TRANSCRIPTS: Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Run Game Coordinator Aaron Kromer, QB Jared Goff - Media Availability - Dec. 4, 2019

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(On playing Seattle this week after potentially rooting for them in Week 13 against Minnesota)
“We’re excited about just the opportunity to compete against a great football team. It starts today – we’ve got to have a great week above the neck, physically – all those things – and see if we can put together two good performances. Whoever won or not the other day, it really – in all seriousness – doesn’t affect the way that we approach this week. All we can control is trying to play a good game as a team and that’s exactly what we’re focused on.”

(On remaining calm and blocking out outside noise when the team is on the outside of the playoff picture)
“I think it’s just focusing on the task at hand. You get ahead of yourself and you realize if you don’t take care of your business, nothing else really matters. You start playing the game of who beats who and really, we’ve got to do a good job of just continuing to stay relevant by playing good football. That’s what we’ll focus on.”

(On the decision to bring TE Kendall Blanton up from the practice squad)
“We felt like we had the guys already on the active roster to be able to fill the need (as returners). Obviously, (TE) Gerald (Everett) has been out – he may or may not be able to play this week. Then, also, (TE) Kendall (Blanton) has done a great job. I think he’s earned the right to be able to move up to the active roster and what he’s demonstrated week-in and week-out, I think he’s earned that.”

(On what he’s made of QB Jared Goff’s season)
“I think he (QB Jared Goff) did a great job last week. Being able to win NFC Player of the Week – I think anytime that we start talking about those things, it’s always a collaboration of the team. We’ve all got to do a little bit better, but I think last week’s performance was more of an indicator of what we can hope to see consistently for this last quarter – specific to the offense. I think that was a reflection of all 11 (players) doing what they’re supposed to do. Certainly, with the amount of times that the ball is in Jared’s hands, you can see he did a great job distributing it. Made good decisions, got us in and out of some of the right checks in the run game and I thought that was a good reflection on him. It’s a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ type-deal and now we’ve got to stack another good performance this week.”

(On how much responsibility is on Goff to overcome moments when the offense isn’t executing)
“What we try to tell our guys is that everybody just do their role to the best of their ability, trust your teammates. There are some instances at that spot where you can bring people with you and make some plays that are outside the framework of the design. I would never say that it’s just on him (Goff). I think it’s always on the unit. Football is the greatest team sport there is and what hasn’t been done consistently well enough is a reflection of starting with me and then everybody else. That’s where we’re going to focus on trying to do a good job of really playing good football this last quarter of the season and building off a good game last week.”

(On how he’s seen Goff deal with the pressure from his contract extension and the ups and downs of the season)
“I think he’s been consistent. He’s dealt with it the same. He approaches every week the same. We want that consistency and you can’t be affected by the outside noise.”

(On what has gone into RB Todd Gurley II’s increased usage in recent games)
“Me not being an idiot. I think he’s (RB Todd Gurley II) felt good and really, he’s done a nice job with that. You look at the Chicago game and then kind of just going from there, you don’t want to make the same mistakes that you ended up making earlier on in the season. I think he’s done a nice job handling a bigger workload, but then also, you do have confidence in those other guys if they need to give him a spell.”

(On if he does really think it was not smart of him not using Gurley II more early in the season)
“I think you’re just feeling it out. I think there’s some instances where, certainly, you look back and it’s always hindsight in terms of, ‘What can you do?’ I think the Steelers game stands out in terms of where we were running the football well and you didn’t really give him a chance to get back going based on how that thing played out. You always try to learn from your previous experiences. I think it’s always a reflection of – I think we’ve been able to – in the games that he’s gotten more touches – be efficient when we’ve been able to give him the ball. That’s a reflection of him, but also the guys blocking. Again, goes back to whether you’re talking about Jared, whether you’re talking about Todd – two premier players that have been outstanding for us. Their production is because they’re great players, but it’s also a reflection of the other 10 (players) around them.”

(On if he was trying to keep Gurley II fresh for later in the season in case there was a playoff run)
“No, no. It has nothing to do with that. It was really just, you’re just kind of working through the 2019 season – the best way to utilize all of our plyers and figuring out what our identity is. I think we’re still working through that, but didn’t have anything to do with (load management). Shoot, we’re just trying to win a game. So, certainly it wasn’t ever with the mindset of looking ahead before anything was accomplished.

(On the Seahawks, Ravens, 49ers are all the three top-rushing teams in the NFL and if that surprises him at all given the way the league has gone more pass-oriented)
“Not really. What they’ve been able to do is, those teams are also efficient when they decide to throw the football, I think it goes hand-in-hand. They can control the clock, they have really good defenses that are opportunistic to take the ball away. I think, really, the time of possession, being able to maintain. Then, those teams that are winning games usually get a chance to get more rushing yards off because you are in those four-minute situations where you’re able to get more attempts and things like that. I think that’s always a reflection of winning football. Usually, you’re able to run the football more, but I think it is also a reflection of keeping your defense off the field. Then, when they do have to throw it because they’re efficient running it, they’re in third-and-manageable situations where you’re able to regulate some of the defensive structures because they are worried about stopping the run. Then, okay, what does that mean in terms of how it opens up some of the lanes in the pass game?”

(On Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson’s success against the defense by being fast and elusive and then having 6.0 sacks on Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray who is also a fast and elusive quarterback and if there were any adjustments they made and if so, how does that apply now to Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson)
“The guys played great. I thought it was a good plan by our coaches. I thought, ultimately, it was about the players executing. There was just an energy, there was a way that they came out ready to go. I thought they weren’t going to be denied, and you could feel that. I think that was a reflection of really all three levels of defense. So, that was a real positive. (Seahawks Qcool smiley Russell (Wilson), he’s a great player. You look at all the things that he’s done throughout the course of his career, he’s a great challenge. What he does such an excellent job of is the off-schedule stuff whether it’s in the pocket, out of the pocket, buying himself some time, eyes down the field. Those guys at receiver and tight end are really trained to work off-schedule for him. He made a handful of great plays against us the last time we played him. He’s consistently done that, really through his career, but then especially through this season. He’s definitely somebody that we’ve got to be aware of. You look at how well they’re running the football, so they’re one of the best offenses in the league. It shows up when you just watch the tape.

(On how much different the team is now with Seahawks WR Josh Gordon and Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny in the mix)
“You add two big-time weapons. Early on in the season, they had (Seahawks TE Will) Dissly making a bunch of plays for them, (Seahawks WR DK) Metcalf, you were just starting to feel him. (Seahawks WR Tyler) Lockett has always been a great player. The ability to get a couple different backs going, you see the way that he spreads the ball around, he makes great decisions and he gives guys a chance to create after the catch. It’s a great challenge. (Seahawks Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Brian) Schottenheimer does a great job of putting them in good situations as well. Our guys are excited about the challenge and ready for the opportunity this week.”

(On his approach when he is going against a team he is so familiar with, but there has been so many changes in personnel for both teams since the last time he saw them)
“The personnel is a huge part of it. It’s a players’ game. Then understanding, ‘Okay, what are some of the things specific to scheme that maybe have adjusted or that still remain foundational elements of what they want to do?’ Then how can we make sure to put ourselves and out our players in good spots to be able to execute at a high level? You look at it, this is a very competitive football team. They’re one of the best teams in the league. I’m really impressed with just how they play in crunch time. I think that’s a real reflection of what kind of team this is. I think it’s a reflection of their head coach and just their overall mindset and mentality. I think that’s something that everybody would want to display – what they’ve done this year.”

(On his reaction to the former Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera situation)
“In my interactions with (former Panthers Head Coach) Ron (Rivera), he’s been great to me. You hate to see that. That’s what’s so difficult about this profession, is that, changes are inevitable. He’s a guy that’s had a lot of success. He’ll continue to have a lot of success. I can do nothing but wish him the best and I have an appreciation for how he’s treated me in the interactions that we’ve had. It’s the unfortunate part of this business.”


Rams Run Game Coordinator Aaron Kromer
(On how excited the team is about Sunday’s Week 14 matchup against the Seahawks)
“This is a big game because it’s the next game. As all coaches would say and every player would say, today is a big day, because it’s today. When you get in these situations, when you’re in the hunt for anything, you wake up in the morning and you do the best you can in that moment and in that day. When you get to these games, you do the best you can in these games. We expect full focus and concentration every day, every meeting, every play. In a game like this, we expect the same thing, to know what to do and how to do it is the most important thing.”

(On if he finds it difficult to control the anxiousness of getting ready for the game)
“Like I said, the big thing is that we have something to look forward to. When you have something to look forward to, it’s a lot easier to gain energy and gain focus. We have a lot of young offense linemen playing. So, every play might be a new experience for them, and this game will just be the same way.”

(On if seeing the final score from the Seahawks vs. Vikings game on Monday put a little spring in his step knowing the team is a little closer to the Wild Card)
“I do. As an offensive line, or as a coach I think, do you feel a little bit of juice from that? Yeah. Any time you have a chance to keep moving, you feel better about it and you feel like you’re doing something in the right direction. When it’s all said and done, as a performer, you’re only as good as the last move. You’re only as good as your last block, your last throw, and then you have to move on to the next one. In order for us to stay in the hunt or continue to have this uplifting feeling, would be to stack one play at a time, as bad as it sounds. As much as it’s a cliché, it’s the most important thing, is to handle what you have to handle right now.”

(On the younger guys responding this season and playing well and how he’s seen their preparation evolve as playing is going from being a luxury to now being a necessity)
“When you do look at our offense line, you know you’re looking at guys with two or three-game, four-game experiences of playing in the National Football League. What you sense is they are good, smart football players that have played physical. When we keep the game in the hand, when we keep it in check, it’s any offensive lineman’s dream, as opposed to when you get down a couple and you have to come back by throwing the ball every play. That’s when it’s a struggle on everybody on the offense or defense, for that matter. When you can keep the game in hand and you’re continuing to stay efficient on first and second down, when you’re able to run the ball and gain yards on first and second down, everything changes, everything stays on track and stays the way you want it. You can go back to the huddle with a comfort and – quietness in your mind that, hey we’re going to be able to continue to run – have every play in our menu available – as opposed to maybe going to a two-minute drill or something like that.”

(On if he had a conversation with T David Edwards about the penalties and how to move past them)
“Yeah, I’ve coached for 19 years in the NFL and that this is the first year that some of these calls are being made. We have to be aware of the fact that they are going to make these calls. We have made ourselves aware, like I said, it’s (T) David’s (Edwards) fourth or fifth game starting and moving from guard to guard. When you see something like that happen where you have multiple penalties, the number one thing is to find a solution and not make an excuse and that’s what David did right away. What is the solution? Well, if they are calling you for holding, move your feet more and stay in front of the guy so you don’t have to understand the reaction and the responses that might happen. Or a hold that you might not thought was a hold as a player and you say, ‘Well, what can I do technique-wise to change that?’ That’s the most important thing, none of his penalties were an egregious penalty where he was attempting or going out of his way to hold a guy. He just got caught in a bad position and didn’t get out of it fast enough. So, how do you do that? Accelerate your feet and have superior feet to the defender.”

(On if he feels comfortable with the way they have unleashed RB Todd Gurley II in the last few games and the way he’s responded)
“I think the most important factor in that question is that we’ve had efficiency when we have run the ball. When you have efficiency, you can hand it to the running back again because it is second-and 4, second-and-6. You might have gotten a first down and now you’re in a situation where you can hand the ball off again or have a hard play-action fake. That’s when the games have not worked in our favor that way. We haven’t been able to do that. I don’t think there’s ever been a choice not to give someone the ball, it was a choice that the game brought upon us as it unfolded.”


Rams QB Jared Goff
(On how they find the consistency on offense to match the Week 13 performance)
“I think it starts every day in practice, I think it started today – just kind of repeating that feeling we had of just moving the ball efficiently on first and second down, getting into manageable situations and making plays. Making plays off-schedule, making plays when they are not necessarily there. I thought we did a good job last week and we need to do our best to carry it over.”

(On how much responsibility he feels personally to win and make a push for the playoffs)
“Of course a lot. I think it’s always part of my job, it’s a part of what I want to do is to win every game and it’s no different this week. As the season goes on, you always want to just get in to the playoffs, that’s always your goal. Win your division, get in to the playoffs. We’ve got everything we want in front of us, we’ve just got to win one game at a time. Definitely something I’m looking forward too.”

(On what his thoughts are on the ups and downs he’s had this season)
“It’s been up and down. There’s been good times and there’s been bad times. I think I spoke about this last week, it’s just always about how you respond, it’s never going to be perfect, it’s never going to be exactly how you like it. Sometimes it’s going to be really, really good – you want to always try to be on that side of it as much as possible. But, there’s times where it’s not going to go your way and that’s in football, in life, in everything. It’s always going to be about how you respond and that’s how you’re truly judged.”

(On him having less time to throw the ball this season than in the previous two season and how much responsibility he feels to make up for it)
“You try not to, you try to just stay within yourself. There’s been, obviously, shuffling upfront, but that’s no excuse, ever. We’ve just have done a good job figuring it out in the last couple of weeks I think and we feel good. I don’t think there’s anything to look back on it at this point. I think we’re moving forward and I want to go beat Seattle. That’s all we can focused on, that’s all I’m focused on.”

(On how has he grown in to being the face of the franchise)
“It’s part of the job, man, it’s part of the job. I think when you’re drafted high like I was, it’s already kind of in your head as, ‘you’re that guy, you’re the face of the franchise, you have to carry yourself that way.’ Over the last four years, it’s been a maturation process. I feel like I’m getting to the point where I’m feeling really, really comfortable as that and have been for a few years, at this point. To answer your question, I feel great, I don’t put any extra pressure on myself. I think I should carry myself the way I have my whole life and good things happen.”

(On if there is any truth to Head Coach Sean McVay’s comment on RB Todd Gurley II’s increased usage)
“He’s being hard on himself. I think we all want to get (Rcool smiley Todd (Gurley II) involved as much as possible. I think these last couple of weeks we’ve seen that and good things tend to happen. He’s a great player for us and we want to give him the ball.”

(On how much easier his job is when the team is running the ball efficiently)
“A bunch. Any time that you can run the ball well, you want to be able to open up the play-action and open up the dropback. Our offense is built that way where if we run the ball well on first down, we get into second-and-managebale, we can do the stuff we want to do and stay ahead of the chains. I think you’ve seen in the past, when we’re operating at a high level is when we’re doing that and we need to continue to do it.”

(On what has opened up in the running game that has allowed the offense to move the chains)
“A bunch of different things. We’re finding different things schematically, we’re playing better up front, we’re running the ball well. It’s a bunch of different things that go into it. There’s never one person – it’s all 11. I think whenever you’re having success it’s all 11 and whenever you’re having struggles it’s all 11. That’s no different with us and has been the case recently.”

(On if he was confident the team was going to win the game in Seattle earlier this season after driving down the field and setting up a potential game-winning field goal)
“Anything can happen. We felt like we were able to move the ball there, but left a little bit more meat on that than we wanted to. I think we could’ve gotten a few more yards there for (K) Greg (Zuerlein) and I know he was kicking himself about that. We know Greg and know the way he responds. I know he’s confident at this point and feels good. I’m very confident if we get into a situation like that, he’ll knock it down. That’s the type of guy he is.”

(On how the Seattle defense is different from when they played earlier this season)
“It is different. It is different. They do, do a little bit of different stuff schematically. But, personnel-wise, they’re very similar. Having (DT Jarran) Reed back is definitely helping them – he’s a great player. It’ll be a challenge for us like it always is and we’re excited.”

(On if he feels better about the Rams playoff positioning with the team now one game behind Minnesota)
“Yeah, it was good to see. But, I think it doesn’t matter if we don’t win. We have to focus on us. At this point, if we don’t win however many games to finish here, none of that will matter. It’s all about what we can do every day, getting better, improving and getting ready to win.”

(On if he tries to shut out the outside conversation about where the team is in the playoff picture)
“There’s a million different things that could happen. We could win every game and every team in the league could lose every other game. There’s a million things that can happen. You try to just focus on yourself and win every game. You can’t try to speculate like that. I think in the past, you try to see who you’re going to play and all that – you can’t. It’s such a crapshoot and you have to just focus on yourself and try to win every game. If you do that, it usually takes care of itself.”

(On if he expects Gurley II’s output to continue in the final stretch of games this season)
“I think we just want to continue to establish the run, for sure. I think that’s definitely part of what we want to do – always has been, always will be. He’s a big part of that and as long as he’s playing running back for us, I expect that to be the case. He’s doing a good job and I think he’s excited for it.”

[aeneas1]

such a typical, stupid, click-bait headline, thought hammond was better than this....

anyhoo, the gurley sitch has been a real head-scratcher, i've certainly not seen anything from him that would suggest he's hurt, or has been hurt this season, he looked perfectly fine on the td dash against the cards that was called back because of a bs holding call, and has looked fine in other games, despite little room to run.

anyway, here's a look at his usage this season, he's been on the field a lot, but his number just hasn't been called as often as past years, for example check out the blue "intd/snp" column (intended plays (rushes + targets) divided by snaps), for the year he's at 35% and has been below 40% 8 of the 11 games he's played - in 2017 he booked a 46% rate and last year a 42% rate.

[/zn/]

such a typical, stupid, click-bait headline, thought hammond was better than this....

In the newspaper biz, generally writers don't write their own headlines. So that's probably not Hammond.

[Elvis]