Todd Gurley brings home another 100-yard game, NFL-best eighth TD in Rams’ win in London

Todd Gurley didn’t hide his displeasure at being on the road for more than 10 days. And the Rams running back certainly spoke his mind about playing an NFC West division opponent in London.

Gurley was vehemently against traveling halfway around the world to face a team that otherwise would have flown 45 minutes to Los Angeles. But location didn’t seem to matter Sunday as Gurley passed the 100-yard rushing mark for the fourth time in five games and scored his league-leading eighth touchdown in a 33-0 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium.

Under first-year coach Sean McVay, the Rams improved to 5-2 for the first time since 2003. Gurley is the first Rams player to be leading the league in touchdowns since Marshall Faulk in 2001.

“Felt good,” Gurley said after rushing for 106 yards, adding, “Coach did a great job of play calling and the O-line was doing a very good job of creating holes.”

Gurley also caught four passes for 48 yards. Quarterback Jared Goff said Gurley’s versatility and newfound role as a pass-catcher has helped the entire offense.

“Any time we can get him going we want to,” Goff said.

In the second quarter, Gurley took a handoff at the Cardinals’ 18, ran toward the middle of the line, made a sharp cut to his left, sprinted around the end and dived across the goal line to give the Rams a 13-0 lead.

Later in the quarter, Gurley turned a short reception in a 35-yard gain that set up a Goff touchdown run.

The Rams have an open date Sunday, followed by a trip to New Jersey to play the Giants. Despite a 5-2 record, Gurley said there was plenty to work on.

“Everything,” he said.

Injury update

Center John Sullivan suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and was helped off the field by trainers. Austin Blythe took over at center.

McVay said after the game that he thought Sullivan was “going to be okay.”

“We got the early results on him, seemed to be positive,” McVay said.

Blythe, a second-year pro, also played in a victory over the San Francisco 49ers after Sullivan suffered a hip injury.

Greg the Leg

“Mr. Automatic,” as McVay and teammates call him, did it again.

Kicker Greg Zuerlein entered Sunday’s game as the NFL’s leading scorer, then added 15 points to increase his total to 84. Zuerlein kicked field goals from 23, 33, 53 and 34 yards.

Timeout

McVay said this week that he needed to manage timeouts better. His problems continued Sunday.

He had used two timeouts with 4 minutes 24 seconds left in the first quarter. He spent his third and final timeout of the half with 10:24 left.

“I’ve got to be better there,” McVay said. “That’s something that over this bye week you got to be critical of yourself; it’s inexcusable. But no excuses, it’s something that I’ve got to get fixed and that’s really the bottom line.”

This time, the early use of timeouts caused no harm. But exhausting them prevented him from possibly challenging a second-quarter play.

Cardinals receiver Brittan Golden caught a pass that officials ruled incomplete, and then reversed after a quick discussion. Replays showed the pass might have hit the ground.

McVay couldn’t challenge because he was out of timeouts.

More targets

Receiver Sammy Watkins was targeted five times and finished with three catches for 42 yards.

It was the most targets and catches for Watkins since he was targeted seven times and caught six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns against the 49ers in Week 3.

Watkins had only two catches on 10 targets in the previous three games and expressed frustration after catching no passes against Seattle in Week 5, but McVay met with the fourth-year pro, who is in the final year of his contract.

Watkins said last week that his mind had been “wrapped up” over the subject of targets, but he was past that and leaving it to the coaches.

Happy returns

Pharoh Cooper improved in his second game as the punt returner.

Cooper, who took over for struggling Tavon Austin against Jacksonville, fielded three punts, returning one 20 yards.

Cooper had entered the game as the NFL’s top kick returner, averaging 31.7 yards per return and taking one 103 yards for a touchdown at Jacksonville. Against the Cardinals, he returned one kick for 18 yards.

Etc.

Rams receiver Josh Reynolds was sidelined because of a concussion.

lindsey.thiry@latimes.com

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gary.klein@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimesklein