THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday that running back Todd Gurley is not on a load management program.
"We're not doing anything like that," McVay said. "It's more along the lines of each week presents a different approach. It's kind of the feel the flow of the game."
Gurley, a two-time All Pro, rushed for 43 yards on 14 carries in a 20-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night.
"I have to do better about being able to give him a chance to really get more into a rhythm than what I've enabled him to do in these first three games," McVay said.
Gurley's production has been markedly down from the 2018 season when he rushed for 1,251 yards and caught 59 passes for 580 yards. He led the league with 21 touchdowns.
This season, through a 3-0 start, Gurley has rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 8 yards. By comparison, through the first three games of 2018, Gurley rushed for 255 yards and four touchdowns and caught 11 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown.
Gurley played an average of 85 percent of the snaps through Week 15 last season. (He was sidelined in Week 16 and Week 17.) This season, he is averaging 70 percent. He averaged 22.5 touches per game last season, which has dropped to 16.0 this season, per ESPN Stats & Information research.
Backup Malcolm Brown has assumed a larger role in spelling Gurley, who was sidelined late last season because of his left knee.
Brown has rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Last season, in 12 games, Brown rushed for 212 yards on 43 carries.
"I think it's worked out good in terms of the balance," McVay said about his usage of Gurley and Brown. "But like I said, I think there is some things you'd like to do a lot better job of giving Todd an opportunity to really get going."
Gurley did not participate in the offseason program and was placed on an every-other-day practice schedule throughout training camp.
McVay said at the start of the regular season that Gurley would maintain an every-other-day practice schedule, but Gurley told reporters that his routine would remain the same to what it has been in the past, which would equate to no rest days.
Gurley has appeared once on the Rams' official injury/participation report as a "Did not practice/not injury related."