Three reasons why so many love LA Rams RB Cam Akers in 2021 FF?

Reason III

Let’s cut right to the chase. Newly acquired veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford will throw Cam Akers’ way. In fact, Akers may lead the Rams in targets at least once this season. How can I be so sure? Well, now we need to pivot away from the LA Rams history to that of former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Over the course of his career, Stafford has thrown anywhere from 20-30 percent of his passes to his running backs. In the LA Rams offense, that will come in somewhere between 120 and 180 passes to receivers out of the backfield. If the Rams are featuring Cam Akers in the running back, it falls to reason that he will be getting a signficant share of the targets out of the backfield as well.  Does that mean 80 targets in 2021? It very likely could. After all, the Rams want to get the ball into Akers hands, and a pass is just as effective at doing so as a hand off.

Let’s step back here. The Rams will test defenses deep, which will pressure defenses to limit the number of defenders in the box to seven. With that opposition, the Rams can flood a quadrant with a number of receivers, and then throw to the other side with Akers trailing as a safety outlet to the opposite side, or simply bring him in to trail the vacated zone.

Once he has the ball in space, Cam Akers is a very very dangerous runner. He is elusive enough to avoid tackles with cuts and shimmies, but strong enough to run through arm tackles and many defensive backs. If defenses move up to defend Akers’ runs or short routes, the Rams can launch a bomb to a streaking DeSean Jackson, Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, or Tutu Atwell.

Akers offers the Rams more than just a Steady-Freddie vanilla rusher. He offers the total package. He put up 176 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the Wildcard Round of the NFL playoffs.  He followed that up with 96 yards from scrimmage and another touchdown in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. The NFL is a tough business, folks. But don’t be fooled. LA Rams running back Cam Akers means business this year.