Everything the Los Angeles Rams have done the last two years has indicated a commitment to utilizing their strong crop of running backs.
They made Todd Gurley the highest-paid back in the NFL before the 2018 season, giving him a four-year deal with $45 million in guarantees. They made the obvious decision to match the Lions’ offer sheet for Malcolm Brown last offseason, keeping him around with a two-year deal. Last April, they traded up to select Darrell Henderson Jr. in the third round, seemingly adding a dynamic playmaker to an already crowded backfield.
Then, when push came to shove, the Rams failed to properly incorporate the position into the offense. They ranked 18th in rushing attempts last season after finishing eighth in 2018 and ninth in 2017. Gurley touched the ball 254 times in 15 games, 61 fewer times than he did in 2018 and 89 fewer times than in 2017.
What’s even more alarming than his lack of rush attempts was his disappearance from the passing game. Gurley was targeted 49 times and caught 31 passes for a measly 207 yards. His 6.7 yards per reception were the lowest of Gurley’s career and were the seventh-worst in the NFL this season.
Brown caught two passes for 16 yards and Henderson hauled in four receptions for 37 yards. That’s 37 total receptions for 260 yards from Rams running backs this season. Both of those numbers were the fewest in the NFL among all 32 teams. The next-closest team was the Ravens, whose running backs caught 41 passes for 362 yards – probably because they were busy helping lead the league’s top rushing attack.
By just about every measure, the Rams’ running backs were the worst in the NFL as receivers, both because of a lack of execution and opportunities. They were last in third-down receptions (3 of 10 targets), catch rate (59.7%), yards per target (4.2), catches for first downs (9) and red zone targets (4) – all according to Inside Edge.
Gurley, Brown and Henderson did very little to force missed tackles after the catch, either. They averaged only 6.6 yards after the catch per reception this season, which was fourth-worst in the league. The No. 1 team, for comparison, was the Vikings, whose running backs averaged 10.8 yards after the catch per reception.
It’s hard to imagine the Rams couldn’t have gotten more out of their running backs as receivers this year – especially with Jared Goff being under pressure as often as he was. Most of the passes that went to the running backs were check-downs and dump-offs when nothing else was there.
McVay called very few designed screens for Gurley, which was a staple of the offense the previous two years. They almost never split Henderson out wide and had him run routes, which could’ve been a good way to get him more involved.
The Rams looked like they were committing to a three-headed monster at running back in the last 18 months, but all they got in 2019 was a disappointing showing and a lack of involvement in the passing game – an aspect of the position that’s never been more important than it is in today’s pass-happy NFL.
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