LA Rams: 3 players crucial to Jared Goff’s success in 2020
By Ryan Heckman
2. Running Back Cam Akers
The Rams’ offense took a turn for the better in 2017 when Sean McVay became head coach, but one of the primary reasons for the offensive swing was due to the weapon they had in Todd Gurley.
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Between the years 2017-2018, Gurley accounted for a total of 2,556 yards on the ground, 1,368 yards receiving and 40 touchdowns altogether. That’s just short of 4,000 yards from scrimmage out of one player — yeah, I’d say that would help a young quarterback off to a rough start for their career.
Last season, Gurley clearly wasn’t the same guy after he started to have knee concerns. In 2019, he finished with 1,064 yards from scrimmage — nearly half of what he had averaged over the previous two seasons. The Rams’ offense struggled, in comparison, to say the least.
It’s no wonder they decided to cut ties with Gurley and bring in rookie running back Cam Akers out of Florida State. In 11 games last season, Akers gave the Seminoles a total of 124.5 scrimmage yards per game while scoring 18 touchdowns.
As a pro, he’ll need to pick up the slack left in the Rams’ backfield and hopefully he does it in a hurry. Goff will not be able to survive without an above-average backfield. He’s not that kind of quarterback. He thrives off of play action and, without any real threat at running back, he cannot do that.
Akers should be exactly what the Rams are looking for as a dual-threat guy, but if Goff and the offense are to bounce back in 2020, he’ll have to come into his own fast.