The other player who received a similar description from McCarthy is Rams running back Todd Gurley.

"He's been dominant at times and taken games over," McCarthy said of the fourth-year back. "He's obviously a focal point for us."

Coming off a 1,300-yard season a year ago, Gurley leads the NFL with 686 rushing yards to date. He already has 11 rushing touchdowns, two shy of his career high from last year, when he won NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Gurley has topped 100 yards just three times in seven games, but one of those was a 208-yard performance at Denver two weeks ago. He's averaging a robust 4.8 yards per carry and has scored multiple touchdowns in four contests, including a pair of games with three rushing TDs.

Gurley also has 25 receptions for 270 yards and three more scores as a huge part of the Rams' high-flying offense. Quarterback Jared Goff is the trigger man, but Gurley is as key as any individual piece because of his all-around game.

"He's on a tremendous pace right now, and I think the numbers speak for themselves," McCarthy said. "He's a complete back. He can run the football at an extremely high level, and what he does in the pass-protection and receiving aspects too, he's a complete player."