All season long, Todd Gurley was a centerpiece of the Los Angeles Rams’ offense. Right up until their Week 12 bye, he was viewed as an MVP candidate yet again after finishing second to Tom Brady in 2017.
Then he battled knee inflammation and everything changed. He took a backseat to C.J. Anderson in the divisional round, carrying it fewer times than the guy signed just a few weeks prior. In the NFC championship against the Saints, he played fewer snaps than Anderson and only got five total touches – none of which came in the third quarter.
So what happened to the highest-paid running back in NFL history? That’s a question Twitter asked throughout the game, and after the win, Gurley shed some light on why he saw his role limited.
“I was sorry as hell today,” Gurley said, via ESPN. “I was sorry. So, C.J. did his thing and the whole team did its thing.”
Gurley said in a postgame interview immediately after the field that he wasn’t hurt, indicating that it was strictly performance-related. Sean McVay told reporters that it was a “flow of the game” thing, saying Gurley will have an instrumental role in the Super Bowl.
That didn’t stop Gurley from blaming himself and saying he didn’t play up to his standards.
“I didn’t play good. I didn’t deserve to be in there,” an emotional Gurley said on the verge of tears. “C.J. was in there, he did his thing. Everybody held me down. We all held each other. We just got it done.”
Gurley did score a touchdown, but his five total touchdowns netted only 13 yards. His longest run was 6 yards, while he also dropped two crucial passes. The first landed in the hands of Demario Davis on the Rams’ first offensive drive, leading to three points by New Orleans.
The second was on third down deep in Saints territory, forcing the Rams to settle for a field goal. Had Gurley caught it, he would’ve easily picked up the first down and come close to the goal line.
The reigning Offensive Player of the Year clearly wasn’t himself and McVay saw an opportunity to ride the hot hand in Anderson, who rushed for 44 yards on 16 carries. Gurley will be back and he has a chance to be at his best in the biggest game of the year.
