The Eagles don't fear Rams RB Kyren Williams, but here's why they should

When it comes to rushing offense, almost nobody thinks about the Los Angeles Rams running backs. It's almost automatic for NFL fans, engaged or casual, to cite the Baltimore Ravens or Philadelphia Eagles ground attack. After all, they were numbers one and two in terms of rushing offenses in 2024. Going even further, the Wild Card Washington Commanders clock in as the third-best NFL rushing offense. The Detroit Lions, the top-seeded team in the NFC, have the sixth-best rushing offense. So where are the Los Angeles Rams?

At the end of the 2024 NFL season, the Rams ended as the NFL's 24th ranked rushing offense. The Rams ground out no more than 103.8 yards per game, something that Eagles RB Saquon Barkley had gained by halftime of most games. But the Rams sat RB Kyren Williams in the final game of the season, a fact that led to his falling from the NFL's third-best rusher to the seventh best rusher.

Still, as the Philadelphia Eagles game plan to stop the LA Rams offense, I expect that Kyren Williams is not among the top offensive weapons that they view as the most dangerous on the Rams roster. And that is why they could be making a huge mistake.

(3) - The Rams offense starts with an effective running game

We can talk about the reasons why the Rams offense was not among the best scoring offenses in the NFL in 2024, but the unfortunate reality is that they were not. The team averaged 21.6 points per game, which was only good enough to be the 20th-ranked scoring offense in the NFL. But we know that the defense played a part in scoring points too. So the offense performed a bit worse than that mark.

But if you examine this team's best scoring games, the Rams most productive offensive outputs were all based upon a balanced offense. That is true when the Rams averaged as little as 3.3 yards per carry. When the Rams offense blended a healthy dose of run to pass, the offense scored a lot of points. Running back Kyren Williams was the featured running back of this team.

(2) - Williams allowed the Rams to set up play-action passing

One of the fun aspects of the Rams offense is how this team is built to succeed. Of course, the offense has struggled mightily to put points on the scoreboard. But if the offense gels early in the game, that opens up an entire array of options in the playbook. And it all starts with RB Kyren Williams.

Of course, each and every opponent gets a different strategy from the offense. But when the Rams faced the high-powered offense of the Buffalo Bills in Week 14 or the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8, the team turned to Kyren Williams to not only gain yards on the ground and control the clock, but to lure opposing defensive backs into the box, and then pass to one of several competent receivers.

Kyren Williams ran the football 29 times against the Buffalo Bills for 87 yards. But he drew the Bills defensive backs in well enough to allow Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford to connect with 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.

(1) - Williams affords Stafford a vital safety outlet

Throughout 2024, RB Kyren Williams carried the football 316 times for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns. On passing downs, Williams was a solid pass blocker, able to slow down if not neutralize any defender who cleared the line of scrimmage and had a clear shot at sacking Stafford. But if Stafford dropped back to pass and the offensive line held, well Williams becomes a sneaky good receiver.

In 2024, Williams was the Rams eighth most active wide receiver, hauling in 34 of 40 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. But in the Wild Card Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs, he has already added a receiving touchdown to his credit:

Williams caught three of three passes for 16 yards, and that touchdown. The Rams were able to convert two of four appearances in the Red Zone against the Minnesota Vikings.

Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles run their offense through RB Saquon Barkley, and he is a strong rusher who will be very tough to stop. But everyone is looking at Barkley to put up big numbers against a surprisingly stingy Rams defense in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs. I don't think anyone is giving Rams RB Kyren Williams much thought. That's a mistake.

Early weather forecasts of cold and snow seem to favor rushing offenses, and that seems to favor the Philadelphia Eagles at first glance. But the Rams are capable of running the football too. As long as RB Kyren Williams can control the football, he will surprise folks with his ability to run.

As always, thanks for reading.

More Rams News, Analysis, and Rumors