Cam Akers Performance vs. Bucs: More Questions For Rams Offense?

The Rams dropped to 3-5 with a 16-13 loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.

Playing in his first game since Week 5, Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers was expected to be the subject of much scrutiny.

Despite reports of his dissatisfaction with his role in the Rams’ offense and his highly publicized trade request, Akers remained on the roster through last Tuesday’s trade deadline. As such, he was healthy and active for the Rams 16-13 Week 9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

His final stat line on Sunday displayed a rather dismal five carries for two yards in just 11 offensive snaps.

Akers’ struggles throughout much of 2022 have been well-documented. He entered the weekend averaging just 3.0 yards per carry. However, the Florida State product actually managed to lower his average to 2.8 with his subpar performance against what has been a porous Tampa Bay run defense. While the difficulties of all Rams runners can be largely attributed to a poor showing from their offensive line, a notable slice of the blame pie has to be placed on Akers, himself.

On the heels of their disappointing loss to the Bucs, head coach Sean McVay declared ‘changes have to be made,” to right the Rams offensive ship. It appears to involve a changing of the guard at running back.

My, how times change.

After missing nearly the entire 2021 regular season with a torn Achilles, Akers was expected to fill the lead back role for the Rams this season. It was a duty which he had held since his rookie season of 2020, in which he was chosen as the 52nd overall pick in the second-round. Akers finished the year having compiled 625 yards on 145 carries with two touchdowns.

In 2021, Akers returned from his Achilles injury in time for the Rams' run to their championship victory in Super Bowl LVI. In the Super Bowl, Akers had 13 carries for 21 yards and 3 receptions for 14 yards in the Rams 23-20 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, har largely underwhelmed in the playoffs, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry.

In light of Akers regression and time away from the field, running back Darrell Henderson has ascended to lead back status. On Sunday, the Memphis product rushed for 56 yards in 12 carries, his longest going for 23 yards. Both Akers and Malcolm Brown combined for 12 yards on seven carries. Although Henderson is unlikely to surrender his position as feature back for the rest of the season, Akers’ playing time was unusually low for a player who was, until recently, considered the top option at the position.

It is understandable that the team would not want to reward Akers for essentially being a malcontent. Yet, it is equally as hard to imagine them keeping him away from the field to the detriment of the team. As a result, questions continue to linger as to whether Akers will be a notable contributor for the remainder of the 2022 campaign. To be fair, a larger sample size (than that of his performance on Sunday) will be needed to determine whether Akers has regressed, or if hard feelings on both sides are just too much to overcome.

Regardless, the controversy surrounding Akers’ future will continue as the Rams prepare for their Week 10 contest with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Nov. 13 at SoFi Stadium. 

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