LA Rams Goff will benefit from RB Akers running for acres

LA Rams QB Jared Goff has found a new ally in rookie RB Cam Akers, and should find it easer to turn the corner

The LA Rams did something on Thursday Night Football that they had not done in a very long time. Against the New England Patriots, running back Cam Akers rushed for 171 yards.  That was more than QB Jared Goff’s 137 yards passing. The last time a running back topped the offense was October 14, 2018, when running back Todd Gurley rushed for 208 yards. On that day, Goff passed for 201 yards through the air.

No, the LA Rams offense is not broken. But there has a bit of inconsistency in QB Jared Goff’s performance. After all, defenses haven’t focused on stopping the Rams running attack for two years. With a fairly one dimensional offense, their job became all the more easier and Goff’s job all the more difficult. After all, when defenses do not fear a running game, play action passes are ineffective. Defenses can go with nickel and dime packages with almost no fear of giving up big-plays to the running game.

Times are a’ changing

That could be changing. You see, nothing fixes an offense better than the running game. And thanks to rookie running back Cam Akers 171 yard performance, the Rams running game is back on the map. In fact, the Rams may have found an effective suitor to Todd Gurley’s role on the team.

That is not to say that the Rams will just go with Cam Akers non-stop from here on out. But the young man has been red-hot of late, and has the best rushing average on the team at 4.8 yards-per-carry. In Gurley’s rookie season, once he ‘got hot’ late in the season, he routinely ran for over 100 yards per game. With three games remaining in the season, it’s is well within the realm of possibility that Akers could add to his 528 rushing yards to approach or perhaps even surpass 1,000 yards rushing this year.

How will this help Goff?

Despite the disrespect shown towards LA Rams starting quarterback Jared Goff, he has been incredibly successful since teaming up with head coach Sean McVay. Not only have the pair never had a losing season, but they’ve missed the NFL playoffs just once in three years, and are very close to clinching a playoff berth this season.

Recall that Jared Goff’s best season happened to be 2018, the year that Todd Gurley was most effective. Now, the sudden surge of Cam Akers and his ability to run with the ball will surely catch the eye of defensive coordinators. After all, if he can put up 171 yards against Bill Belichick, imagine his upside against less disciplined defenses?

Cam Akers is not just going to spark the Rams running attack. By forcing defenses to defend the run, he will be able to help spark Goff’s passing once more as well. The Rams have tried to harness Jared Goff’s pasing ability for the past two seasons to pull the team through struggles on the offensive line and the running game. The Rams seem to have gotten both back on track. Now, it’s time for the Ram’s to make use of their running game to take a bit of the pressure off Jared Goff.