The overwhelming consensus through three games is that Todd Gurley looks far more like the player we saw in 2015 than the one we saw last season. He’s fourth in the league in rushing, is tied for first with four touchdowns on the ground, and is second with 15 first downs.

His play thus far is a big reason the Rams have the highest scoring offense in the NFL, putting up 107 points in three games. However, there’s one troubling aspect about his game, and it has to change going forward.

Gurley has fumbled it four times already, the most in the NFL. That’s concerning by itself, but when you consider that no other running back has fumbled it more than once, it’s even more worrisome.

It’s bizarre, too, because of the fact that Gurley has never had a hard time holding onto the football. As a rookie, he put it on the ground three times. Last season, twice on 321 touches – an impressive ratio. He’s touched the ball 76 times already in 2017, but he’s also lost the ball on five percent of those plays.

What’s the cause of this? It’s a variety of things. The game against Washington was a bit of an anomaly. He coughed it up twice, both on punch-outs by Josh Norman – one of the best at knocking the ball free in the NFL.

That’s no excuse for Gurley losing the ball twice, but it is a factor. It also has to do with Gurley not doing a good job of protecting the ball when burying his head into a wall of defenders. He’s been a bit loose when running between the tackles, which has resulted in defenders knocking it free.

Fortunately, he’s only lost one of his four fumbles. If not for some fortunate bounces, he may have cost the Rams valuable points, and potentially the game against the 49ers.