The 2016 season was a disaster for Los Angeles Rams and their star running back, Todd Gurley. When asked about the season, Gurley did nothing to sugarcoat his feelings.
“Like a nightmare,” Gurley said on the Rich Eisen Show, when asked how he’d categorize the 2016 season. “I still can’t believe this season. It was definitely a tough year and a learning experience for me. Obviously last year was a losing season, but to be 4-12 this year, I don’t want to feel that feeling again. … We have a new coach. We just have to bring everybody back to buy in for the next year and make it better than it was in ’16.”
Gurley was also outspoken during the season. Following the Rams 42-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14, he blasted the team, saying it had a “middle school offense.”
Jeff Fisher was fired after that game, but it didn’t help. Los Angeles lost its final three games, being outscored 90-30. Included in that was a loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which was San Francisco’s second win over the Rams in an otherwise winless season.
The season wasn’t much better for Gurley individually. He rushed for only 885 yards and six touchdowns on 3.2 yards per carry. In 2015, Gurley played only 13 games, but rushed for 1,106 yards with 10 touchdowns on 4.8 yards per attempt.
Gurley and the rest of his Los Angeles teammates need to have a tremendous offseason.
Those results show how far the Rams need to go to become a championship caliber team, or even a fringe playoff contender as they had been in previous seasons. Making matters worse, Los Angeles does not have its first round draft pick. So, making big improvements in 2017 will be an uphill climb.