Lost in the madness that was last night's historic Monday Night Football game was the relative absence of Todd Gurley.
A bona fide MVP candidate entering Monday evening, Gurley failed to reach the end zone for the first time all season on a night when 14 touchdowns were scored. The running back played 86.7 percent of Los Angeles' offensive snaps but recorded a season-low 15 touches for 94 yards.
On Tuesday afternoon, a partial reason for Gurley's low output emerged.
Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters that Gurley had his ankle rolled up on early in L.A.'s 54-51 win over the Chiefs and the back was limited throughout the contest. McVay denied that Gurley was being used as a decoy, adding that if Gurley was on the field, then he was healthy enough to go, per the Orange County Register.
With Los Angeles on its bye this week, McVay added that Gurley should be fine going forward.
With or without a fully healthy Gurley, the Rams were not relying on the ground game during Monday's slugfest. Los Angeles ran 54 passing plays to 21 rushing plays. On their final possession with 1:18 to go, the Rams chose to attempt three passing plays to pick up what would have been a game-sealing first down. Gurley was not targeted once.
Despite the "down" game, Gurley still leads the league in rushing (1,043 yards) and total touchdowns (17) through 11 weeks. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year is on pace for 1,517 rushing yards and 25 total scores.
