Four and out: Surprises from the NFL in Week 8
By Dani Bostick
1. Todd Gurley is the league leader in rushing yards per game
The St. Louis Rams took a gamble when they drafted running back Todd Gurley in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. After all, Gurley was still recovering from a torn ACL and was unable to return to the field for the first two games of the regular season. Exacerbating matters was the Rams decision to cut Zac Stacy, a move that effectively left the team extremely thin at running back for the beginning of the season.
The decision to draft Gurley currently seems brilliant, as the rookie is leading the league in yards per game at 115.0. He is also tied for the lead in yards per attempt at 6.1 yards. He is tied for second (alongside Doug Martin), behind only the injured Le’Veon Bell, for runs over 20 yards. Bell has eight, while Gurley has an admirable seven.
Gurley’s first game was in Week 3 against the Steelers where he totaled a disappointing nine yards. Since then, however, he has been well over 100 yards with 146, 159, 128, and 133 yard totals. He averaged 1.5 yards per carry against the Steelers, 5.3 yard per carry against the formidable Green Bay Packers, 6.7 against the Browns and 49ers, and an impressive 7.7 yards per carry against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams are looking pretty smart right now with the acquisition of Gurley. Their top-round pick is on track to total 1,314 yards on the season. Not bad for someone who was recovering from a torn ACL until Week 3.