Why Rams must stick with a promising running game without Kyren Williams

Pitstops for Rams running backs?

The LA Rams got a huge game out of running back Kyren Williams in Week 6. But he was not the only rusher who got his hands on the football. Over the course of the football game, the Rams managed to get three runs for nine yards out of RB Ronnie Rivers, and four rushes for ten yards out of rookie running back Zach Evans.

But keep in mind that the LA Rams seem to favor smaller running backs in their offense. While the 1-2 punch of Tiny Mighty Mo runners has been effective for the Rams, it comes with its own set of unique risks.

What do I mean? Here are the Rams running backs:

1. RB Kyren Williams - 5-foot-9 - 194 pounds
2. RB Ronnie Rivers - 5-foot-9 - 195 pounds
3. RB Zach Evans (rookie) - 5-foot-11 - 202 pounds
4. RB Royce Freeman (Practice squad) - 6-foot-0 - 238 pounds

That's a pretty solid group of NFL running backs.

Rams may need to rework rushing offense

Curiously, the two runners who get the most work in this offense are the two smallest runners. While that has produced on the football field, the aftermath of working small rushers hard has inevitably resulted in minor injuries.

We've seen this pattern before. The Rams work the same player over and over early in the season, which is a myopic strategy. In a 17 game season, there are many compelling reasons to spread out the workload. Even as coaches and fans scream for going with the hot hand, or in this case the hot running back, there are significant and critical reasons to resist the urge.

Smaller running backs simply cannot endure the punishment of repeatedly running the football game after game. That is what led to the Rams parting ways with a very productive but oft-injured RB Darrell Henderson Jr. in 2022. I would had to witness the same unheralded outcome for promising running back Kyren Williams.