Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams have had one of the most successful rushing offenses in the NFL this season. Behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, the Rams finally have a balanced run game with versatility. That balance in usage and versatility is something that the Rams haven’t had in any season under head coach Sean McVay.
This season, the Rams rank third in rushing DVOA on offense and fourth in rushing success rate. Their 0.7 rushing yards over expected per attempt is fifth. While the success has been impressive, it’s been the balance between Williams and Corum that has stood out. After taking 68.5 and 73.7 percent of the team’s carries in 2023 and 2024, Williams is down to 59 percent this season. That’s over a 14 percent gap from last year and it comes after the Rams paid Williams in the offseason.
A result of that balance has been a more successful Williams and therefore a more successful run game for the Rams. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler,
“They’ve been rotating Williams and Corum drive-to-drive and will continue to do so. LaFleur told me he thinks they’ve been seeing the best version of Williams because he’s fresher and not being asked to carry as much of the load, and the Rams have their sights set on January and February games and want everyone as fresh as possible.”
The Rams are getting the 2023 version of Kyren Williams who was fresh late in the season because of a midseason injury while he remains the featured back. In 2023, Williams averaged 0.7 rushing yards over expected and 0.07 EPA per rush with a 47.4 percent success rate. With under 300 carries, he had an explosive run rate of 3.9 percent. He gained 10 yards or more on 11.4 percent of his carries.
Not to say that Williams was bad last year, but he was much less efficient as the bell cow in the backfield. Taking a career-high 316 carries, he averaged -0.09 EPA per rush and had exactly 0 rushing yards over expected. His success rate was lower at 45.3 percent and gained 10 yards or more on just 8.54 percent of his carries. Heading into the offseason, it was clear that Batman needed a Robin. Williams needed a sidekick in the run game.
That’s exactly what has happened this year as Corum is on pace for 126 carries. It would be the most carries for a RB2 in the Rams offense since Darrell Henderson had 149 in 2021 behind Sony Michel. The Rams have found their Henderson and Michel combination, but Williams and Corum are actually good.
With more balance in the run game, Williams’ production is much closer to 2023, if not slightly better in spots. His 51.9 percent success rate is over four percent higher than 2023. His explosive run rate of 2.7 percent is nearly a full percentage point higher than last season. That doesn’t mention that 10.17 percent of his carries are going for 10 or more...
