Their second-year tailback is helping the Rams go to the playoffs with a ton of momentum.
With their 26-25 victory over the New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks’ defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, the Los Angeles Rams secured a Wild Card spot. Since their bye week, they have an impeccable 6-1 record, which lines up with their current offensive outburst.
The enhanced output of the offense has been largely attributed to the improved health of quarterback Matthew Stafford as well as standout receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. But the team’s new identity is mostly fueled by running back Kyren Williams’s return and subsequent dominance.
Years after Todd Gurley’s prime, do the Rams have a new star tailback on their hands?
Williams has assumed the Gurley role
Since Gurley left, head coach Sean McVay has been searching for a bell cow.
Gurley used to be the figurative tip of L.A.’s spear, managing a high volume of touches and putting up ridiculously high per-touch numbers. He was a First-Team All-Pro in both 2017 and 2018, when he also led the league in total touchdowns from scrimmage and finished no lower than third in scrimmage yards.
Since the Rams cut him midway through his four-year, $57.5 million contract, finding a replacement has proven challenging. After Gurley left, the team mostly used Darrell Henderson Jr. and Cam Akers, but neither back was quite as complete or explosive as the first-round choice from 2015.
Kyren Williams now comes into play. Williams was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has since emerged as Sean McVay’s long-awaited bell cow quarterback.
Similar to Gurley before him, Williams is a valued asset in both real life and fantasy football since he is averaging well over 20 touches per game this season (he has achieved that accomplishment nine times in 12 games played).
Williams is succeeding in all phases
Rushing, receiving, or pass blocking – Rams’ RB1 thrives regardless of assignment
Williams has the ability to adapt his schemes in many ways. The Rams were regularly among the top five teams in outside zone runs during Gurley’s heyday. Thanks to Williams’ bowling-ball-running attitude and their strong interior line, they are now leading the league in gap-run plays.
Williams is a huge asset to this Rams offense because he has a wide route tree and genuine pass-catching ability, which are uncommon qualities in backs who thrive between the tackles. Linebackers are forced to adopt coverage mentalities by his ability to run angles and dig out of the backfield, which makes the box even lighter for McVay’s inside handoffs.
| Kyren Williams 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Total | RB Rank |
| Rushes | 228 | 11th |
| Rushing Yards | 1,144 | 2nd |
| Yards/Rush | 5.0 | 4th |
| Receptions | 32 | 23rd |
| Receiving Yards | 206 | 25th |
| Total Touchdowns | 15 | 3rd |
Although his pace of 15 touchdowns in 12 games would seem unsustainable, it is exactly comparable to the 20 touchdowns Gurley averaged in his two greatest seasons. The Rams have a prolific offense that supports rather than depends on the outstanding players surrounding it.
Additionally, the Rams use the shotgun a lot, so their halfbacks need to be adept at pass blocking rather than just having it as a luxury. Fortunately for them, Williams excels in that capacity as well. According to PFF, he is among the top 10 running backs in pass blocking this year and was largely regarded as the best blocking back in the 2022 draft class.
All things considered, Williams has developed swiftly into a versatile and all-around backfield option who can play a variety of looks and fill a wide range of duties in the offense. Williams, possibly more than Gurley, is a perfect fit for McVay and the Rams’ offensive scheme.
To the playoffs and beyond
Given that Williams is now the team’s 3-down back, what does his future in Los Angeles appear to hold?
The Rams will play either the third seed (probably the Detroit Lions) or the second seed (either the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles) in the NFC playoffs because they are the sixth or seventh seed in the conference. Though the Cowboys and Eagles aren’t exactly a run defensive powerhouse (like the Lions, they’re far more beatable through the air), none of those teams have a renowned run defense.
Although Williams has destroyed the San Francisco 49ers for 100 total yards and two touchdowns on 20 touches back in Week 2, a potential second-round meeting against them would be a much stiffer task.
The Rams are in a transitional phase as a team after this postseason. For the first time since choosing Jared Goff first overall in 2016, the team will have a first-round pick, and they should have real cap space for the first time in a very long time.
After winning the Super Bowl a few years ago, McVay and star defensive lineman Aaron Donald have openly discussed retiring. Stafford will turn 36 the following year. The Rams are already a few levels below the squad that raised the Lombardi trophy at the end of the 2021 season, but they can still “go for it” a few more times before the present core is past its prime.
Williams should continue to be the primary back for the foreseeable future, regardless of the Rams’ strategy. Being able to manage a full workload has always been a priority for McVay, and Williams is already among the NFL’s most complete backs. It would be a crime to split up the offensive mastermind and his versatile weapon before it is necessary.
Though they will have many tough personnel decisions to make in the future, Los Angeles can find comfort in the fact that their offense is centered around one of the finest tailbacks in the league.