Twitter Can't Believe Todd Gurley Has 3 Carries at Halftime of Super Bowl 53
February 4, 2019
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay made it clear that he expected a big game out of running back Todd Gurley in Super Bowl LIII, so when the 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year had just three carries in the first half against the New England Patriots, the internet was understandably confused.
In the NFC Championship Game two weeks ago, Gurley had just four carries for 10 yards (and a touchdown) in a 26-23 overtime victory against the New Orleans Saints. Afterward, the three-time Pro Bowler denied he was hurt, attributing a poor performance to him just being "sorry as hell" that day, per ESPN.com's Lindsey Thiry.
McVay let it be known Tuesday that he envisioned "the Todd Gurley that we all know" to show up in the Super Bowl:
Well, that was not the case through the first two quarters. Gurley, who piled up the third-most rushing yards (1,251) in the NFL during the regular season despite a knee injury limiting him to 14 games, managed just 10 yards on three touches by halftime.
Meanwhile, the Rams were shut out in the opening 30 minutes, going into the locker room trailing 3-0.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was among those to notice Gurley's lack of impact:
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III managed a quip:
But he wasn't alone in wondering what was going on with the Los Angeles star:
Given the Rams' lack of success on offense in the first half, it's fair to wonder if McVay will adjust his game plan and turn to Gurley in the second half.