The St. Louis Rams are glad to have rookie running back Todd Gurley back from the injury that made him such a big question mark in the 2015 NFL Draft. It's unclear how many teams would have risked such a high pick on Gurley, but the Rams knew what they were getting into and Gurley, now 100 percent healthy, has averaged 5.7 yards per carry this year.
Browns vs. Rams 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Josh McCown and Nick Foles will duel on Sunday.
Gurley looks primed for a big day against the Cleveland Browns for their Week 7 game on Sunday. The Browns have been terrible against the run, allowing 5.0 yards per rush, second-worst in the league. They have also allowed the most rushing yards in total with 899, more than double the yardage total allowed by the team with the fewest rushing yards allowed (New York Jets). Finally, the Browns allow 149.8 rushing yards per game, more than any other team in the league.
Gurley, despite playing in just three games, leads the Rams in rushing by far. He has 55 carries for 314 yards, and has also caught three passes for 20 yards. The bulk of his touches have come in the past two games, as he had just six carries in his debut. He ran the ball 30 times in a losing effort against the Green Bay Packers in Week 6. He will be the bell cow against the Browns as well.
A top-tier running back is something the Browns have been in search of for years now, with Trent Richardson being a first-round bust just a couple years ago. Isaiah Crowell is the starting running back, with rookie Duke Johnson getting some touches as well. Crowell has 73 carries for 272 yards and a touchdown, a per-carry average of 3.7 yards. Johnson has 159 yards on the ground. Cleveland ranks No. 22 in the league in rushing.
Still, running might be the only way the Browns can put up yardage against the Rams. St. Louis has struggled this year, but the defense has played well at times. They rank 12th in the league in rush defense, but No. 5 in the league in passing defense. They're stingy against quarterbacks, and Josh McCown will have a tough time putting up big numbers against them.
McCown has experienced a surprising career resurgence in Cleveland. He joined the team in the offseason and has been the starter since Week 1. He has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,416 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He had three consecutive games with 300-plus yards, and one of 450-plus yards.
But McCown came back down to earth against the Denver Broncos in Week 6, throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions in that game. He's played well against good secondaries this season though, and the Browns are confident in his abilities going forward. There was a bit earlier in the season where the fans were chanting for Johnny Manziel, but a string of strong McCown performances mostly quieted those down.
He’ll have his work cut out for him against the Rams, though.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Mo.
Network: CBS
Announcers: Brian Anderson, Adam Archuleta
Online: NFL Game Pass
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