Second-round rookie Cam Akers finally broke out for the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, setting career-highs with 29 carries and 171 yards rushing. It was as good a performance as the Rams have gotten out of a running back since the end of the 2018 season when Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson were in the backfield, but Akers didn’t want to take credit for it.
After the game and then again on Twitter, he praised his teammates for the jobs they did blocking and making plays for him up front and outside.
“The offensive line was the reason the run game was so successful tonight, in my opinion. Those guys got great push every time we ran the ball,” he said after the win. “When they create the space, that’s all I needed. The rest is in my hands.”
2 words. Offensive lineman! Not to mention receivers and TEs who make plays blocking and catching…. https://t.co/wV5bMHhp60
— Cam akers (@thereal_cam3) December 12, 2020
The running lanes were big for Akers, especially early in the game when he had a run of 35 yards and a few other carries longer than 10 yards. But he deserves credit for the job he did, too, making defenders miss and creating yardage.
Outside the tackles, he gained 77 yards over expected, according to Next Gen Stats, which is impressive. He showed good vision and burst through the hole, which allowed him to rip off big plays.
Sean McVay hasn’t committed to Akers as the workhorse back moving forward, but with a performance like the one he had against New England, it’ll be hard to go back to a true committee.
