I'm uncertain how to feel about Cam Akers, and this applies to the Rams offense in general. On the one hand, Akers and the team's running game were very good the second half of last season. On the other hand, that kind of approach really isn't what the team is all about.
Statistically, the Rams were very impressive on the ground the second half of last season. They averaged 124 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry, nearly 56 yards per game and more than 1.4 yards per attempt better than in the first half of the season. That first-to-second-half improvement in both areas was the largest increase among the league's 32 teams.
| TEAM RUSHING, 2022 (1ST HALF VERSUS 2ND HALF) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Yds(1) | Avg(1) | TD(1) | Yds(2) | Avg(2) | TD(2) | Yds(+/-) | Avg(+/-) | TD(+/-) |
| LA Rams | 68 | 3.2 | 6 | 124 | 4.6 | 9 | 55.4 | 1.44 | .25 |
| Carolina | 105 | 4.6 | 8 | 158 | 4.5 | 8 | 52.4 | -.08 | .11 |
| Pittsburgh | 95 | 4.0 | 4 | 146 | 4.2 | 12 | 51.1 | .24 | .83 |
| Indianapolis | 87 | 3.7 | 3 | 136 | 4.8 | 5 | 49.1 | 1.07 | .29 |
| Washington | 108 | 4.1 | 4 | 146 | 3.9 | 5 | 38.4 | -.15 | .18 |
| San Francisco | 120 | 4.5 | 7 | 156 | 4.8 | 13 | 36.5 | .30 | .57 |
| Tampa Bay | 61 | 3.0 | 3 | 95 | 3.8 | 2 | 34.6 | .77 | -.08 |
| Buffalo | 124 | 5.1 | 6 | 155 | 5.3 | 9 | 30.5 | .17 | .38 |
| Miami | 87 | 3.9 | 6 | 113 | 4.8 | 6 | 26.1 | .94 | .08 |
| Kansas City | 104 | 4.5 | 8 | 127 | 4.9 | 10 | 23.4 | .49 | .11 |
| Las Vegas | 110 | 5.1 | 6 | 131 | 4.6 | 6 | 20.5 | -.44 | -.08 |
| Denver | 108 | 4.1 | 5 | 119 | 4.6 | 6 | 10.3 | .47 | .04 |
| Green Bay | 121 | 4.8 | 3 | 128 | 4.4 | 9 | 7.7 | -.42 | .79 |
| Dallas | 132 | 4.7 | 10 | 138 | 4.1 | 14 | 6.9 | -.60 | .31 |
| LA Chargers | 89 | 3.7 | 7 | 90 | 3.8 | 8 | 1.0 | .07 | .01 |
| Philadelphia | 149 | 4.3 | 16 | 147 | 4.9 | 16 | -2.2 | .61 | -.22 |
| Atlanta | 163 | 4.8 | 11 | 157 | 4.9 | 6 | -6.4 | .05 | -.47 |
| Cincinnati | 99 | 4.0 | 10 | 91 | 3.6 | 4 | -7.5 | -.39 | -.54 |
| Minnesota | 102 | 4.3 | 10 | 94 | 3.9 | 8 | -8.1 | -.43 | -.36 |
| Detroit | 134 | 5.0 | 9 | 123 | 4.2 | 14 | -11.2 | -.86 | .43 |
| Arizona | 117 | 4.5 | 7 | 103 | 4.1 | 8 | -14.5 | -.40 | .22 |
| Baltimore | 168 | 5.5 | 9 | 151 | 4.8 | 5 | -17.2 | -.73 | -.38 |
| New England | 117 | 4.1 | 9 | 95 | 4.6 | 3 | -22.6 | .49 | -.63 |
| NY Giants | 162 | 4.9 | 10 | 136 | 4.8 | 11 | -25.2 | -.14 | -.03 |
| Houston | 102 | 4.3 | 3 | 73 | 3.1 | 4 | -28.4 | -1.19 | .07 |
| Seattle | 134 | 5.2 | 10 | 105 | 4.4 | 2 | -29.0 | -.80 | -.86 |
| New Orleans | 131 | 4.9 | 9 | 101 | 3.6 | 3 | -30.4 | -1.37 | -.63 |
| Tennessee | 142 | 4.6 | 10 | 110 | 4.2 | 6 | -31.9 | -.40 | -.58 |
| Cleveland | 165 | 5.0 | 15 | 130 | 4.4 | 4 | -34.3 | -.54 | -1.43 |
| NY Jets | 116 | 4.6 | 10 | 80 | 3.6 | 3 | -35.8 | -1.07 | -.74 |
| Chicago | 195 | 5.4 | 10 | 157 | 5.4 | 8 | -38.6 | -.03 | -.11 |
| Jacksonville | 147 | 5.1 | 11 | 99 | 4.2 | 5 | -47.4 | -.89 | -.60 |
That's all well and good, but it would be a reach to say that was by design. Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp were healthy the first half of the season, and it was the typical pass happy offense (in the team's 2021 Super Bowl campaign, only eight teams passed the ball on a higher percentage of plays than Los Angeles). Both of those guys were on the shelf the second half of the year, and the team emphasized the run. With Stafford and Kupp back on the field, a run-based approach looks a lot less likely.
The counter argument is that Sean McVay is no dummy, and he's aware the team isn't the same as that Super Bowl edition. The offensive line isn't as good, the weapons in the passing game aren't as good, and Stafford himself certainly isn't that guy anymore, even assuming he's fully healthy. McVay has leaned on the run before, like in Jared Goff's last year before being traded to the Lions. The Rams in 2020 passed the ball on just over 56 percent of their plays, 22nd in the NFL.
My suspicion is we'll see a mix this year -- not as run-heavy as the second half of last season, but not as pass-heavy as the team that won the Super Bowl. And that's assuming Stafford is fully healthy and they're able to keep him that way.
Circling back to Akers. I'll be willing to draft him as a starter, but not one I'm particularly excited about. I think the team will be better running it than it was the first half of last year, not as good as it was the second half (when it had Mayfiled/Wolford/Perkins at quarterback and had no choice). Akers should be a decent No. 2 running back, but probably not a great one.
--Andy Richardson