Todd Gurley's Bold Plan to Beat the Rams' Star-Studded Defense

Imagine being an NFL running back walking into an offensive meeting room and your opponent for that week is the Rams. You open up your notebook, and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett's name is staring back at you. Oh yeah, three-time DPOY winner Aaron Donald's is, too.

Then Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Byron Young and Nate Landman. The offensive coordinator tells the group that if the quarterback somehow survives the pass rush long enough to throw the ball, All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie is waiting for him.

So, how exactly do opposing offenses attack this revamped Rams defense? Former Rams running back Todd Gurley has an idea.

What is Todd Gurley's strategy against the Rams' defense?

The former 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year faced plenty of intimidating defenses during his six seasons in the league. But during an exclusive interview with the California Post courtesy of DraftKings Gameday, Gurley shared his strategy on how he would attack the Rams' defense if he were still in an offensive meeting room.

If I'm an offensive coordinator, I'm doing a lot of formations. I'm switching it up. A lot of sweeps. Make those guys run.

Gurley was asked if he thinks the 49ers and reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey will utilize a similar strategy on Thursday in the season opener against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

It's the first game. Obviously, some people have to build into that endurance, but I'm running straight at guys. I'm running straight at guys.

His strategy might sound counterintuitive. Garrett is a two-time DPOY winner and a great run-stopper. So is Donald and Ford. Running directly at them sounds less like an offensive strategy and more like a crash test dummy volunteering to be in a car accident.

Why would running at elite defenders make sense?

Gurley's point, however, exploits a Rams weakness from last season and forces an elite defensive front to have to exert a lot of energy and effort in chasing the running back instead of allowing their vaunted pass rushers to dictate the game.

The Rams defense allowed 4.3 rushing yards per carry last season, slightly higher than the league average. Gurley believes if you make that defensive line move laterally, change formations on them, call run sweeps and force everyone to chase the football, that is a recipe for success. Mix in quick throws before the pass rush can arrive and keep your offense on the field and you might have the best defense in the league on paper playing on its heels.

If that stuff's not working by halftime, let's go back to the drawing board and make some adjustments. Some quick, easy throws. Some out routes, some slants, maybe some go balls. Maybe we get some defensive pass interference that helps out.

What happens if offenses abandon the run too early?

Gurley, who was one of the best in the league at running the ball during his prime, also sees another danger in opponents fearing the Rams' stout defensive line and abandoning the run entirely: three incompletions puts Matthew Stafford and the Rams' top-ranked offense from last season back onto the field.

You don't want to throw three times in a row and then you're off the field. Now your defense has to go back on the field against the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, about eight tight ends over there and their running backs who can get busy in space as well.

Gurley's joke about the Rams' crowded tight end room aside, his larger point on controlling possession, draining the clock and keeping Stafford watching from the sideline is sound.

Which elite defenses remind Gurley of the current Rams?

When asked which elite defenses he faced in his career remind him of the current Rams, Gurley recalled facing the Seahawks during the Legion of Boom era, when Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett played in front of Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman. He also remembered the Vikings' front featuring Linval Joseph, Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks.

But Gurley never had to face Garrett and Donald on the same team.

Regardless of whether Gurley's strategy could have success against that pairing, his philosophy of throwing the first punch rather than spending four quarters running away from it makes sense.

Sometimes you've got to attack a man straightforward and see how that works out. If it doesn't work out, then you've got to adjust off of that.

We'll find out just how that strategy works when the Rams and 49ers kick off from the Melbourne Cricket Ground at 5:35 p.m. PT on Thursday.