The emerging formula no NFC defense wants to face within Rams playbook

The scoreboard screamed dominance by the 10-3 Los Angeles Rams..

Forty-five points, 530 (net) yards of offense, and a division rival flattened under a December surge that has become a signature of head coach Sean McVay’s best teams.

But beneath the surface of the 45–17 dismantling of the 3-10 Arizona Cardinals lies a deeper, more intriguing development -- one that could heighten the identity of the offense just as the calendar veers toward the postseason.

For the first time all year, and truly the first time in his young career, running back Blake Corum became a defining force in the Rams’ backfield. And the ripple effect of that emergence could meaningfully expand a playbook already engineered to stress defenses to their breaking point.

From a distance, the box score looks like the predictable work of one of the NFC’s premier teams improving to 10–3. Matthew Stafford accounted for explosive plays. Puka Nacua looked like his usual self. Davante Adams drew coverage that opened the middle of the field. The Rams defense made key stops. Nothing surprising. Nothing out of character. But then you look again at the ground game -- and suddenly everything about the Rams’ playoff arc becomes more interesting.

Blake Corum delivering robustness to Rams running game

Corum carried the ball just 12 times. Yet, he turned those touches into a career-high 128 rushing yards, a blistering 10.7 yards per carry, and two touchdowns that showcased every trait that made him a third-round pick a year ago. Vision. Contact balance. Tempo. And most importantly: decisiveness.

He wasn’t a change-of-pace back on Sunday. He was a spark, a tone-setter, and a schematic unlock.

For most of this season -- and truly over the last two-- the backfield has belonged to Kyren Williams. He’s been the engine, the heartbeat, the constant. And Williams was good once again, totaling 84 yards and a touchdown of his own. But the presence of both Williams AND Corum on the field at the same time changes how McVay can manipulate defenses.

The Rams leaned into Pony personnel against Arizona, pairing the two backs together and weaponizing their complementary skill sets. When both players align in the backfield, linebackers hesitate. Safeties flatten. Angles get compromised.

McVay, always willing to push the boundaries of formation structure, suddenly has the freedom to expand the offense in ways that don’t rely solely on the right arm of his veteran signal-caller.

Overall, this is the time of year when a multidimensional run game becomes important. In December, you need answers inside the tackles. You need explosives to breach the perimeter. You need the ability to shorten a drive, control a quarter, or tilt a possession script when weather, attrition, or the intensity of playoff football demands it.

And for the first time since Williams took control of the backfield, the Rams have another legitimate threat who forces defensive coordinators to think twice before they spin the safeties deep and dare Los Angeles to hand it off.

And with that, Corum’s emergence gives McVay room to grow horizontally -- jet action, orbit motion, two-back misdirection, and wide-zone variations that draw defenders sideline to sideline. But maybe more importantly, it rekindles the verticality this offense lives off.

Play action becomes more punishing when linebackers fear what’s coming downhill. Shot plays become more accessible when safeties are forced to take a step forward. And Stafford, who has operated behind one of the league’s more efficient lines this season, doesn’t have to shoulder a 35-attempt workload every week.

That is the real significance of Week 14. Not the margin of victory. Not the score. Not the statistical fireworks. It’s the discovery -- or perhaps rediscovery -- of a back who can alter how this offense plays the game.

For Corum, Sunday wasn’t just a breakout performance. It was a reminder that the Rams, already one of the NFL’s sharpest and most creative offenses, may have another gear still to tap.

And if that gear becomes reliable in the coming weeks, Los Angeles won’t just be a tough out in the NFC. They’ll be one of the most difficult teams in football to prepare for -- because just when you think you may have a way to counter Nacua and Adams, they’ll hit you with a second ball-carrie capable of slicing up your entire front seven.