Kyren Williams

[Classic Rams]

Williams has better initial burst and vision than Akers does. Kyren found the holes and shot through them. Too many times Akers just ran into the back of the Oline.

going back reading, this explains what I also saw perfectly.

 

[Ram Ts]

Eye test alone tells you Williams is much better - just so much more patient with holes and able to find the angles along the line when things clog up. Even seems to fall forward or carry a guy for an extra yard or two.

 

[KA210927]

I drafted KW with my last pick and everyone called me a homer haha

 

[Juice]

Cam came on late last year. I know he was still coming back from injury, but he seemed to excel after more reps. It's true that it's harder to run when the D knows you are going to, but KW hit those holes with purpose. Let's hope Cam warms up after some reps and we have a two headed monster on our hands.

 

[majrleaged]

We really went after Wagner in zones in the passing game, he's got some deficiencies there, one's that we knew even more intimately after last year. Great to see these WRs do so well vs zone but the real test will be what Tutu and Puka can do against man.

You beat me to this post.
Also Seattle played mostly Zone. Lets see how our young receivers handle the physical man to man they are going to see this week. You can bet Tutu will get hit a lot without the ball, because that is what they do.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I think they're going to see that in the tapes and try to get Dotson up and running sooner rather than later.

I hope so. Noteboom had some gaffes in pass pro, but his run blocking was nearly non existent.
But Dotson is more of a pass blocker than a run blocker. The Steelers line looked bad against the Niners. If Dotson couldn’t make that roster then it is not a ringing endorsement,

Eye test alone tells you Williams is much better - just so much more patient with holes and able to find the angles along the line when things clog up. Even seems to fall forward or carry a guy for an extra yard or two.

I love the diving forward, a la CJ and Sony. It seems like RB 101 to me, but some guys just don’t do it,

 

[jap]

Kyren reminds me of Marcus Allen the way he moves his body navigating through defenders. If he keeps this up he may unseat Akers as starter.

Nothing really against Akers, who was the victim numerous times of defenders shooting through gaps in the line, which is a reason why they ranked low there. It's just Kyren has a little more jukes.

 Marcus Allen does seem like Kyren's RB muse. Kyren has a way of slithering through the slightest crease much like Marcus used to do.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Akers had 22 carries for 29 yards. They had no option but to switch to Williams. Not sure why Akers has been so inconsistent but he has been given every opportunity to succeed.

One of the reasons I kept saying in the offseason that I wish we could add another back (not a rookie). I just feel Akers is too in consistent at times. Is his added bulk actually making him worse?

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Not likely but after taking it to the Seacocks - Would anyone be shocked by a trade for Jonathan Taylor (Plan B to last years Plan A attempt to get McCaffrey).

I wouldn't be as long as we don't pay a crazy amount compensation wise which could be the case. This offense would get way more deadlier with him as our RB1.

 

[oldnotdead]

Just remember Austin Corbett couldn't make the Cleveland roster as a starting OG. But he was fine in LA. It's a different system and different coaches. The Steelers want road graders on their OL. I still think McClendon is destined for RG but it might be 2 or 3 years. IMO Dotson is insurance so they can give Warren the time he needs to make the transition.

Considering Noteboom missed all of the OTAs and most of TC he's playing well at a new position for him. People are crying for Anchrum who has shown after 4 years he's strictly a backup talent. Noteboom isn't the permanent solution at RG. He's working his way back into form on a new side at RG so he can seamlessly make the transition to RT next year. Then Dotson or McClendon can play RG. McClendon is a mauler which is exactly what you want at RG. With Dotson on the roster they don't have to rush McClendon.

 

[blackbart]

Amazing how good Akers looked on plays that were blocked well, like the TD he scored.

You guys are reading too uch into a small sample. KW wouldn’t have done any better in the plays that were blown up before Akers had the ball.

 

[Mackeyser]

One of the reasons I kept saying in the offseason that I wish we could add another back (not a rookie). I just feel Akers is too in consistent at times. Is his added bulk actually making him worse?

I think Seattle focusing on run when Akers was in and McVay predictably calling runs for Akers really made it unnecessarily hard for him.

They mixed it up for Kyren and doing that for Akers is only gonna help him and us going forward

 

[TexasRam]

Amazing how good Akers looked on plays that were blocked well, like the TD he scored.

You guys are reading too uch into a small sample. KW wouldn’t have done any better in the plays that were blown up before Akers had the ball.

The Akers TD was a walk in based on a hurry up and catching Seattle off guard in my opinion. I think most of us could have walked that in.

Small sample size yes. But KW looks to have better vision in both running and pass pro.

I think KW is trusted as a pass pro RB and also in running the correct route out of the backfield. Though he wasn't really targeted.

Mcvay gonna play the positive coach speak but I think he don't trust Akers with all his mental screw ups previously.

 

[Merlin]

Mcvay gonna play the positive coach speak but I think he don't trust Akers with all his mental screw ups previously.

Certainly possible. But even if that is true I think Akers' status on the team is mostly related to how he produces. He needs to show better, but I have a feeling the Rams have run game tells they are not aware of. Because for whatever reason when Akers is in there the Seahawks were shooting run lanes.

So maybe it's a numbers thing, as in number of times he's in there on certain downs means high percentage he gets a carry. Or maybe it's the way he sets himself on runs. Teams can key on some crazy shit.

But personally I like the two of them in combination. And I also don't want to see Williams get too beat up. So I'm hoping Akers has a big day vs SF and we end up with a good competition that makes both of them better back there.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Certainly possible. But even if that is true I think Akers' status on the team is mostly related to how he produces. He needs to show better, but I have a feeling the Rams have run game tells they are not aware of. Because for whatever reason when Akers is in there the Seahawks were shooting run lanes.

So maybe it's a numbers thing, as in number of times he's in there on certain downs means high percentage he gets a carry. Or maybe it's the way he sets himself on runs. Teams can key on some crazy shit.

But personally I like the two of them in combination. And I also don't want to see Williams get too beat up. So I'm hoping Akers has a big day vs SF and we end up with a good competition that makes both of them better back there.

Without Kupp, they played with an extra man, sometimes 2 in the box and they dared the Rams to beat them with the pass. That changes the math and allows them more favorable run fits. That's all.

 

[WestCoastRam]

I think Seattle focusing on run when Akers was in and McVay predictably calling runs for Akers really made it unnecessarily hard for him.

They mixed it up for Kyren and doing that for Akers is only gonna help him and us going forward

Kyren was almost exclusively in the gun and on what was typically a passing down and faced a lighter box every single time I could count.

 

[jrry32]

Cam was a stud down the stretch last year. People shouldn't overreact to week one. Seahawks played lights out run defense. But we burned them with our passing game. It made sense to play Kyren a lot because he's a studly passing-down HB. There will be games where we need to lean on Akers's abilities as a runner. He's more explosive than Kyren and runs with more physicality. I look forward to McVay finding ways to get Kyren more integrated in the passing attack.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Cam was a stud down the stretch last year. People shouldn't overreact to week one. Seahawks played lights out run defense. But we burned them with our passing game. It made sense to play Kyren a lot because he's a studly passing-down HB. There will be games where we need to lean on Akers's abilities as a runner. He's more explosive than Kyren and runs with more physicality. I look forward to McVay finding ways to get Kyren more integrated in the passing attack.

If we can prove that Puka and Tutu aren't 1st game flashes in the pan then teams won't load the box to stop the run (which is what I would have done too with Kupp out) and Aker's will all of a sudden be a good RB again.

 

[blackbart]

The Akers TD was a walk in based on a hurry up and catching Seattle off guard in my opinion. I think most of us could have walked that in.

Small sample size yes. But KW looks to have better vision in both running and pass pro.

I think KW is trusted as a pass pro RB and also in running the correct route out of the backfield. Though he wasn't really targeted.

Mcvay gonna play the positive coach speak but I think he don't trust Akers with all his mental screw ups previously.

KW was targeted and Stafford was obviously pissed that he ran the wrong route.

What mental screw ups are you referring to? Missing blocks happens to young players. He showed plenty of mental toughness during his rehab and in carrying the team late last season.

Which of the plays where he was hit in the backfield in Seattle do you think KW turns in to positive yards?

 

[Merlin]

Kyren was almost exclusively in the gun and on what was typically a passing down and faced a lighter box every single time I could count.

I have not rewatched the game nor counted the snaps when they loaded the box. So that statement was no statement of fact of any kind, more just a feeling from that first watch-through where it seemed to me that there was active ILB movement vs certain runs. Seahawks have good ILBs and are well prepped, so maybe it's just a percentage thing where they were called run blitzes. But I wonder about it.