Rams lineman: 'We're going to make it easier' on Todd Gurley

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - It's easy to say the offensive line of the Los Angeles Rams need to do a better job of creating holes for running back Todd Gurley. But it is almost impossible to block two men at once. And when defenses are stacking eight or nine players in the box to specifically guard against the race, there are only so five offensive linemen can do.

"But," Rams left guard Rodger Saffold said, "there are ways that we can do a little better to open channels for it. The most important thing is to know how to protect themselves against all the different blitzes, the nine-man fronts, to be able to open channels. Basically it will continue to see these things and he will gain experience and learn, just wise vision. Hey, this well. But there looks someone standing in that hole. I may have to press here, come out the other side. "These types of things.

"It's a group effort. Our team, we must do a better job blocking. Our receivers to dig people. And then we just have to be able to read and put us in the best situation. I think coaches are starting to do it for us. we put ourselves in certain situations better than we can open holes for Todd. "

This is the top priority. 1, 2 and 3 for the attack of the Rams at the moment, because nothing will actually happen until Gurley happens.



The Rams star running back has amassed only 98 yards on 36 carries through the first two weeks 28-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and a 9-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. His 2.7 yards per rank 38th out of 44 qualified backs. And his average of 0.89 yards before first contact is the third lowest in the NFL, a clear indication that opposing defenses penetrate the line of scrimmage to stifle Gurley.

This type of treatment has Saffold back to his first three years with the Rams, 2010-12, when Steven Jackson was the primary ball carrier.


Defenses stacked up to nine men in the box. And when the Rams would go sets with two tight ends - something the current offense often does - "It was very difficult to find a way because everything became a lot of flesh," said Saffold But Jackson had the ability. quickly see the field, make a defender miss and bounce outside for significant yardage.

"It has the same capacity," said Saffold Gurley. "But we must ensure that we are cleaner, so that when he makes the first guy miss, we do not have two and three guys coming after him."

Gurley has already made the Pro Bowl and was the third leading rusher in 2015. But he is just 22, with only 14 complete sets of NFL experience. He is still getting a feel for the game speed at this level, still developing its capacity for decision making with the ball in his hands.

"We must ensure that we understand this - it's still a sophomore," said Saffold. "He will still have to continue to learn. But it's not on his shoulders. We never put that on his shoulders. We put that on our own. So we'll make it easier for him to be crowned success."