Rams expect expanded role for Cam Akers in second half of season

Sean McVay says Florida State product has to compete without the ball

Limited by a rib injury that forced him to miss two games already this year, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay liked the production he saw from rookie running back Cam Akers in last week’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.

“I think the injury at Philly really set him back a handful of weeks, where he missed a lot of opportunities that he would’ve gotten,” McVay said. “What I think we’ve seen, when you go back to Washington, the few carries that he had, and even a couple of touches yesterday (against Miami), he’s an extremely dynamic and exciting player that we have a lot of confidence and faith in, that’s going to have a really bright future.

“I just want to continue to see him mature, ascend, and really continue to learn how to compete without the ball -- understanding where he fits in protections.”

Akers finished with 54 total yards from scrimmage on 10 total touches. Specifically, the Florida State product showed some wiggle on a 19-yard, catch-and-run out in the flat in the second half.

The 46-yard run at WAS may already have been the "welcome to the NFL moment" for the rookie, but I'd like to think this is the play that really launches Cam Akers' NFL career. pic.twitter.com/wxtcncl7ez

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) November 2, 2020

Akers has totaled 158 yards on 35 carries (4.2 per carry average) in six games played. After playing a combined four snaps in back-to-back games against the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears, Akers got 20 snaps on offense on the road against the Dolphins when Darrell Henderson Jr. went out in the second half due to a quad injury.

“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sweet,” Akers said about his limited reps. “I’m just waiting on my opportunity. It didn’t come, but it will come. So you’ve just got to take the bitter with the sweet.”

With the offense looking to create more explosive plays, McVay needs to find a way to get Akers on the field more after the bye week.

“When the ball’s in his hands it’s pretty natural for him,” McVay said. “You look at that check down that he caught on the left sideline where he’s able to make a couple guys miss. I mean, that right there in and of itself, shows what a dynamic playmaker he is -- when he can put his foot in the ground, he seamlessly catches the ball out of the backfield.

So, I think he has a really bright future, but I think it’s just continuing to detail everything up. (Running Backs Coach) Thomas Brown does a great job with him on that. I think with more opportunities, we want to see more maturity, more improvement. I think particularly without the ball in his hands are the things that we’re looking to see and I do have trust that he’s going to have a really good second half of the season for us.”