McVay Seeks More ‘Urgency’ From Cam Akers After Rams’ Loss

The Rams coach wants to make sure his running back plays with more ‘accountability’ this season.

Rams coach Sean McVay was not pleased with his team’s performance in a 31-10 loss to the Bills in their 2022 season opener on Thursday night.

But among the things that went wrong while placing full responsibility on himself in the team’s loss, McVay also pointed out that he wanted to see running back Cam Akers play with more of a sense of urgency and responsibility.

Akers, who was expected to be the team’s top running back this season, failed to accumulate any yards on the ground on three carries. Meanwhile, running back Darrell Henderson finished the game with 47 yards on 13 carries. 

Despite Akers’s limited production, McVay says he still wants to see the “little things” done the right way in his third year running back.

“There were some instances where there were some positive things and some things that he [Akers] can do better, but we want to see just an increased level of urgency and accountability snap in and snap out from him,” McVay said, per ESPN. 

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Akers entered the 2022 season after spending nearly the entire ’21 campaign sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon injury. He returned in December, played in Week 18 as well and recorded 21 yards on 13 carries along with three receptions for 14 yards in the Rams’ 23-20 victory against the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

Akers has put his skills on full display on different occasions. But for McVay, he wants to ensure that Akers continues to grow and remains consistent with his abilities. 

“We've all seen how talented and what a special player this guy's capable of being,” McVay said. "And I want to see him reach his highest potential. And that's really all there is to it.”

The Rams will look to bounce back in Week 2 when they face the Falcons on Sept. 18. 

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