Todd Gurley out to ridiculous start for Rams

St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley is out to an incredible start to his career. The first-round rookie has more rushing yards in his first four career starts than any running back in the modern era over that same time span, according to Sam Farmer of the LA Times. He has 566 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in his four starts, and 575 yards in total. He's carried the ball 94 times and has a per-carry average of 6.1 yards as a pro.

Gurley had a huge game against the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, rumbling for 133 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He also caught three passes for 13 yards, and was generally dominant against a 49ers defensive front that is actually one of the few bright spots on the team at this point in the season. The highlight of his day was a 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, had serious injury concerns throughout the offseason due to the fact that he was recovering from a torn ACL. Most didn't expect him to go so early in the draft, but the Rams stuck to their guns and went with Gurley with all the confidence that it would pay off in the end.

And pay off it has. Gurley missed the team's first two games with the injury, and had just six carries for 9 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers in his debut. Since then, he's been completely dominant, putting up 146 yards against the Arizona Cardinals, 159 yards against the Green Bay Packers, 128 yards against the Cleveland Browns and the 133 yards against the 49ers.

The Rams are 4-3 on the season, with Nick Foles starting at quarterback. Making it to the playoffs if certainly a possibility, even if it's a long, uphill battle. If Gurley keeps turning in the kinds of performances he has since he took over as the starter, and if he has the kind of longevity the Rams hope, then that will help them get there big time.