3 ways Cam Akers will help you forget Rams RB Todd Gurley in 2023

The best of LA Rams head coach Sean McVay was not when he landed veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford to hurl the football instantly to any point on a football field. His best offenses, in 2017 and 2018, were led by young quarterback Jared Goff. But the secret weapon, and the key to keeping the defense on their heels, was the incredible multi-purpose production of running back Todd Gurley in that offense.

Gurley put up 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2017. In 2018, he topped that mark with 1,251 yards but 17 touchdowns. But what of his ability to catch a pass? He was unstoppable, catching 64 of 87 passes in 2017 for 788 yards and six touchdowns. In 2018, he was nearly as impressive, catching 59 of 81 passes for 580 yards and four touchdowns.

With play-action offensive plays, defenses had no chance. Commit to stopping the run, and QB Jared Goff had enough options to find the open receiver. But commit to stopping the pass, and its bye-bye football game, as Todd Gurley was so productive, so powerful, that he could will the victory of any football game. He just took over, and the LA Rams never looked back.

Cam Akers and the greek tragedy of the Rams’ rushing attack

The LA Rams tale of running back Cam Akers is about as dramatic and epic as the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Coincidentally, each has three separate and distinct chapters, and each one is as diametrically different from the one before it as possible. What am I talking about? The simple fact is that without understanding the long and arduous journey, can you truly appreciate the destination?

Running back Cam Akers was drafted by the LA Rams in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 52nd pick. At the time, the LA Rams were searching for a versatile do-it-all running back, and Florida State University’s Akers checked all of the boxes. He was big enough to be durable. He was fast enough to be productive. He displayed the skills to flourish as both a running back and a receiver in the NFL.

But most of all, he understood how to work for yards. That will be something he will rely on, again and again.