Best Is Yet to Come for Franchise Cornerstone Todd Gurley

The St. Louis Rams had to wait for it, but rookie Todd Gurley's breakout came in his second career NFL game, as he ran circles around the Arizona Cardinals defense en route to a 24-22 victory.

On the heels of a disappointing debut that yielded fewer than 10 rushing yards, Gurley burst onto the scene in a clash of NFC West rivals. He took his 19 carries for 146 yards, also catching two passes for 15 yards and continuously gashing the Cardinals with the game on the line.

Considering what the franchise has invested in him as a 10th overall pick and what he's already proven in his playing days, this should only be the beginning.

Sunday produced a tempered start for Gurley, who initially struggled to get to the second level against Arizona's strong defensive front. But he eventually got going, and he got going fast.

With the Rams sporting a tight 10-9 lead in the third quarter, Gurley paved the Rams' way to a touchdown that allowed them to begin pulling away. He ran for 40 yards on four straight carries, quickly resulting in a Stedman Bailey touchdown catch.

Two drives later with the Cards' deficit trimmed to 17-15, the University of Georgia product again came up big.

It took one play early in the fourth to blow the Cardinals' run defense open, as Gurley broke free on a draw play for 52 yards:

That led to another St. Louis touchdown, this one and the ensuing extra point making it a 24-15 lead. But a quick Arizona score meant that with mere minutes remaining, Gurley's work wasn't done.

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A single first down would have given the Rams enough time to run the clock nearly all the way down. Gurley provided much more than that.

He burst for 20 yards on the first play, then on a 3rd-and-12, Gurley effectively closed the door on a Cardinals comeback with a 30-yard scamper. Instead of racing to the end zone like any young running back would, Gurley chose to fall down and end the game.

Although they came late in the contest, Gurley's 106 fourth-quarter yards didn't come in garbage time. Every one of them proved crucial in getting the win against a previously undefeated Cardinals team.

In the process, he reached a plateau not touched since the days of Steven Jackson, as ESPN Stats & Info reported:

It may have been new for Rams fans to see this type of outing, but putting up 100-yard games is nothing new for Gurley. With that said, he cited his preparation as a big component to Sunday's game.

"It is just football," Gurley told reporters. "I have played it my whole life and you ready your keys and study the game and everything will slow down for you."

As noted previously, it's not like this performance came against one of the league's lesser defenses. Gurley knew he would have to go up against the best defensive units when he was drafted into the NFC West, and he delivered on Sunday, as Bleacher Report's Matt Miller noted:

Plenty of good running backs stock the NFL's cupboard at the moment with an infusion of young talent, but there's a difference between good and great. Gurley showed the first signs of being the latter on Sunday, and that had NFL Network's Albert Breer saying he told you so:

For all the promise that Gurley showed throughout his collegiate career, there are no guarantees when it comes to transitioning to the NFL. That's why although he's shown all of his talent on the biggest stages, there remained reason for cautious optimism.

Well, now that cautious optimism has quickly shifted to pandemonium and joy in St. Louis, where for the first time since the days of Marshall Faulk, the Rams have a workhorse who can change the game on any snap.

As he showed during every touch in crunch time and constantly throughout the game on Sunday, Gurley has that ability. And that's the best sign for what's been an up-and-down start to the Rams' season.