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Failed fourth-and-goal with Todd Gurley costs the Rams
Alden Gonzalez
DETROIT -- Todd Gurley was supposed to cut left, but the Los Angeles Rams' star running back darted up the middle. It was fourth-and-goal from the Detroit Lions' 1-yard line, with the score tied and the first half down to its final seconds. Gurley was stuffed for a loss. The Rams' gamble had backfired, and it showed up big in a 31-28 defeat at Ford Field.
"They made a good play, we didn’t," Gurley said, plainly.
Gurley seemingly had a hole to his left, with Cory Harkey blocking his man while acting as a fullback and right guard Jamon Brown acting as a pulling guard to create a hole on the left side. But Gurley ran straight ahead, and the penetration came quickly.
"Sometimes it’s hard to get to the gap that you want to get to if there’s quick pressure," Rams left guard Rodger Saffold said. "At the end of the day, you have to give Todd space to make things happen, and we didn’t do it that play.”
That play -- and Case Keenum's game-ending interception -- was one of few blemishes on a day when the offense scored four touchdowns, amassed 23 first downs and gained 387 yards. Gurley himself started strong, gaining 64 total yards on the first two drives. But he picked up just 33 thereafter and finished with 58 yards on the ground, giving him only 346 through the first six games.
The Rams went 6-for-9 on third down, but are just 1-for-6 on fourth-down conversions this season.
Harkey felt the crowd noise made it difficult for the Rams to get a good jump off the ball in their latest attempt, which led to them getting beat badly at the line of scrimmage.
"It’s one we wish we had back, but that’s kind of the way it works," Harkey said.
"I'd do that again," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, whose failed fake punt hurt his team last week. "Inside the 1-yard line, I mean, you need to knock that in."
[www.espn.com]
Alden Gonzalez
DETROIT -- Todd Gurley was supposed to cut left, but the Los Angeles Rams' star running back darted up the middle. It was fourth-and-goal from the Detroit Lions' 1-yard line, with the score tied and the first half down to its final seconds. Gurley was stuffed for a loss. The Rams' gamble had backfired, and it showed up big in a 31-28 defeat at Ford Field.
"They made a good play, we didn’t," Gurley said, plainly.
Gurley seemingly had a hole to his left, with Cory Harkey blocking his man while acting as a fullback and right guard Jamon Brown acting as a pulling guard to create a hole on the left side. But Gurley ran straight ahead, and the penetration came quickly.
"Sometimes it’s hard to get to the gap that you want to get to if there’s quick pressure," Rams left guard Rodger Saffold said. "At the end of the day, you have to give Todd space to make things happen, and we didn’t do it that play.”
That play -- and Case Keenum's game-ending interception -- was one of few blemishes on a day when the offense scored four touchdowns, amassed 23 first downs and gained 387 yards. Gurley himself started strong, gaining 64 total yards on the first two drives. But he picked up just 33 thereafter and finished with 58 yards on the ground, giving him only 346 through the first six games.
The Rams went 6-for-9 on third down, but are just 1-for-6 on fourth-down conversions this season.
Harkey felt the crowd noise made it difficult for the Rams to get a good jump off the ball in their latest attempt, which led to them getting beat badly at the line of scrimmage.
"It’s one we wish we had back, but that’s kind of the way it works," Harkey said.
"I'd do that again," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, whose failed fake punt hurt his team last week. "Inside the 1-yard line, I mean, you need to knock that in."
[www.espn.com]
