The Los Angeles Rams limp into CenturyLink Field Thursday night for a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, less than a week removed from their 42-14 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons and the firing of head coach Jeff Fisher on Monday.
The NFL sending the Rams to play in one of the loudest stadiums in the league on a shortened week is the equivalent of sending a sacrificial lamb into a den of lions. Things might get ugly fast for the Rams, especially when you consider their last place scoring offense (14.9 points per game) is going up against Seattle’s third-ranked scoring defense (17.8 points per game allowed).
The Rams are a team in transition, still looking for a new identity in a new city while trying to deal with the grind of the NFL. While the Rams may be years away from contending, they have a few nice pieces that can get them there, starting with one player the Seahawks would love to have on their roster: Todd Gurley.
Gurley was a first round pick by the Rams in 2015 (number 10 overall). The running back from Georgia was coming off a torn ACL, leading many to question the Rams’ decision to risk a top-10 pick on him.
But the Rams and Gurley soon proved to be a perfect marriage. In 13 games last season, Gurley rushed for 1,106 yards with 10 touchdowns. He had five games where he rushed for over 120 yards.
This season, the honeymoon’s over, as Gurley has rushed for just 740 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. He’s had just one game with over 80 yards rushing, and Los Angeles ranks 30th in the league in rushing (81.1 yards per game).
If Gurley were to join the Seahawks roster, he’d instantly provide that big, Marshawn Lynch-type back that works so well in Seattle’s run game. His presence would demand defenses stack the box in an effort to stop him. Doing so would open the field up for Russell Wilson and the passing game, something Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin would appreciate.
Even though Gurley won’t be suiting up for Seattle on Thursday night, the Seahawks are hoping to get some more production out of their own running back, Thomas Rawls, who has averaged 86.5 rushing yards over his past two games, including a 106 output in Week 13 against the Carolina Panthers.
