Gurley gone, but Rams backfield could still challenge Seahawks; Yakima native Kupp thriving
The stadium won’t look familiar when the Seahawks visit SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for the first time Sunday.
The backfield won’t look familiar either.
For the first time since early 2015, Todd Gurley will not be the Rams’ starting running back.
Which is probably a welcome departure. During the five seasons the two-time All-Pro was the Rams’ leading rusher, Gurley piled up 694 rushing yards, 175 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns in nine games against the Seahawks.
Gurley scored in each of the most recent five meetings Los Angeles and Seattle have had. Three of those were multi-touchdown games.
The Rams went 6-3 against Seattle with him roaming the backfield.
“When Gurley was really hot he was hot in every phase of the game,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday on a Zoom call with reporters. “He was a big-time receiver and big-time guy in the screens, as well as all the runs. Such an effective player.”
Gurley is now in Atlanta — and scored his 13th career touchdown against the Seahawks in Week 1 — meaning the Seahawks won’t have to account for the prolific running back when playing their NFC West rivals for the first time in years.
But, they’ll have to account for three.
Los Angeles’ backfield has continually evolved throughout the first half of the season. Darrell Henderson Jr. is the leading running back, with 95 carries for 458 yards and three rushing touchdowns. But, Malcolm Brown isn’t far behind with 75 carries for 314 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Which of the two backs the Rams feature each week can vary. Henderson has been the Rams’ leading rusher in five games — including their most recent three — and had the bulk of the carries in five, but Brown has been the leading rusher twice and handled the majority of the work in three games.
Then there’s rookie Cam Akers, who has added 148 yards on 35 carries and led the Rams in rushing against Washington in Week 5.
Wide receiver Robert Woods has pitched in another 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16 carries.
Carroll said he Rams have stayed “philosophically the same” in their rushing attack without Gurley. But, now Seattle has the added challenge of not necessarily knowing who to plan for.
Collectively, the Rams are averaging 137.8 yards per game on the ground, which ranks seventh in the NFL. Though the Seahawks have allowed a league-worst 455.8 yards per game, they have been more successful against the run, allowing 93.6 yards per game, which ranks fourth.
“It takes a couple guys to fill his shoes, and they found it,” Carroll said. “Both guys average around 4 1/2 yards a carry. They’re consistent. Both catch the football. The rookie’s good, too. So, they’ve got a great trio of guys to go to.
“Style seems the same. Hopefully we can keep them from being as effective as Gurley was against us at times.”
KUPP PACING RECEIVERS — AGAIN
Yakima native Cooper Kupp will play opposite the Seahawks for the seventh time Sunday — and look to continue producing against the home state team.
Kupp’s 356 career receiving yards against Seattle are more than he’s tallied against any other opponent, and his three total receiving touchdowns matches his career high — he also has three against the Cardinals.
“I’m fortunate to work with players like him,” Rams coach Sean McVay said Wednesday on a conference call. “Very contentious. Ultimate competitor. He’s got great ability and great versatility, and he’s going to be a big part of hopefully a lot of good stuff that we’ll do in this second half of the season.”
Kupp, who is wearing No. 10 this season — the number he wore when he starred at Eastern Washington University — is Los Angeles’ leading receiver through eight games with 48 catches on a team-high 71 targets for 527 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s got great ability, but I think it’s his ability accompanied with his intrinsic motivation, his understanding of the game and really he’s always just kind of pushing the limits,” McVay said. “He’s a guy that makes you better as a coach, working with him and the way that he approaches it day in and day out. You can’t help but get better because of the rhythm and the routine that he’s been able to establish for himself as far as just becoming a pro’s pro.”
Kupp is pacing Rams receivers for the second consecutive season (1,161 yards, 10 TDs in 2019) after returning from an ACL injury that derailed his season in 2018 when playing against Seattle.
“He’s even stronger than he was before, and it’s a real credit to his work ethic and the way he goes about it,” McVay said.
INNOVATIVE OFFENSE
Since McVay took over in 2017, the Rams are 4-2 against the Seahawks, including winning four of the past five meetings.
Their offense has also been explosive. Los Angeles has racked up more than 450 total yards the past four meetings, and more than 350 yards in every game McVay has coached against Seattle.
Los Angeles’ least productive game in total yardage against the Seahawks under McVay was a 352-yard game in 2017 — which the Rams still won 42-7.
“He’s just been really good about continuing to progress,” Carroll said.
The Rams are one of three NFC West teams among the offensive leaders in the league, ranking sixth in yards per game at 396.4. The Cardinals lead the NFL with 422 yards per game, while the Seahawks average 415, which ranks third.
“The Rams look like a really good football team to us in all ways,” Carroll said. “They’re a complete team. Sean has done a great job with these guys. They’re balanced. They can run it. They throw it. They’re playing really good defense. Special teams are solid. They are a very good club. … They continue to grow and innovate and do new stuff. New defense looks good. They’re doing really well. They’re off to a really solid start and going to be a very difficult game for us.”
