Todd Gurley said postgame he wasn’t hurt, just “sorry as hell” in explaining why he didn’t see the ball more. Rams coach Sean McVay blamed himself for not getting his star running back more involved.
Gurley played 32 offensive snaps, only five fewer than C.J. Anderson, but Anderson had 17 touches for 49 yards and Gurley five for 13 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought C.J. had some tough, hard runs, but I definitely think I should’ve gotten Todd a little bit more involved,” McVay told reporters Monday, via NFL.com. “But again like the flow of the game, we’ve got to do what we think is in our best interest. And if anything that you love so much about Todd, and I think it epitomizes what’s right about our football team, the ownership that he talks about with regards to ‘I’ve got to play a little bit better.’
“I also think it is a result of the opportunities. He didn’t have a lot of opportunities to play much better, so I think that’s where I’ve got ownership in that as well and the great thing about it is he’ll get a chance to make a big-time contribution and have a big-time role in our game against the Patriots.”
Gurley, an MVP and offensive player of the year candidate for part of the season, missed the final two games of the regular season with left knee inflammation. He had five fewer touches than Anderson in his return in the divisional round but gained 118 total yards and scored a touchdown against the Cowboys.
The All-Pro did not appear on the injury report last week but had career lows for touches and yards.
“Todd’s healthy, and he’s feeling good,” McVay said. “He sure looked pretty healthy on that touchdown run where he ran through guys and demonstrated some explosion and what we know about him. More than anything, I’ve got to get him more opportunities.”