Another week, another big-name running back across the field on the opponent’s sideline.
Rams running back Kyren Williams acknowledged the well-deserved attention Saquon Barkley received last week before the Rams played the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Now Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL’s leading rusher, is coming to SoFi Stadium.
Williams said a “competitive mindset” drives him when high-profile backs are in the building.
“I know how people look at those guys,” Williams said, “and so it’s like, ‘Bro, you better look at me the same way.’ I love it.”
Williams, who signed a $23-million extension before the season, and second-year pro Blake Corum are providing the Rams with the backfield balance coach Sean McVay envisioned as the Rams built a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
Last season, the 5-foot-9, 207-pound Williams carried the ball 316 times. Only Barkley (345 carries) and Derrick Henry (325) of the Baltimore Ravens had more. The Rams averaged 103.8 yards rushing per game, which ranked 24th among 32 teams.
Through three games, the Rams are ranked ninth, averaging 127 yards rushing per game.
Williams, a fourth-year pro, has rushed for 226 yards and a touchdown in 55 carries (4.1 yards per carry). He also has five receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Rams running back Kyren Williams celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Corum has rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in 14 carries (7.1 yards per carry). He has one catch for 14 yards.
“Those two play off each other really well,” McVay said, adding, “We feel really good about where both of those guys are at, and continue to lean into it and look for a good balance of being able to keep Kyren feeling good throughout it and take advantage of Blake’s skill set.”
McVay has said that ideally he would like to see Williams get 65% of the carries, Corum 35%. But the flow of the game dictates whether that plays out.
After Williams carried the ball 18 times, and Corum only once, in the opener against the Houston Texans, the duo provided more balanced production in the next two games.
They combined for 110 yards rushing in a victory over the Tennessee Titans. In last Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, Williams ran for 94 yards in 20 carries. Corum gained 53 yards in eight carries.
“It was a good one-two punch,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
That is what McVay and general manager Les Snead aimed for after Williams carried a combined 544 times in the previous two seasons.
“We’ve got it kind of dialed into where, like, we’re able to feed off each other,” Williams said of he and Corum. “It’s like friendly competition as well. I go out and make a play, now Blake is going to come in and make a play.
“It allows me to stay fresh throughout the whole game. So it doesn’t feel like I just took 50 carries and it’s only the second quarter. To me it’s a great system.”
Rams running back Blake Corum carries the ball during a preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys in August.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Corum, a 2024 third-round draft pick from Michigan, is enjoying the expanded opportunity after getting only 58 carries last season.
“It’s been great getting my feet under me, being able to just go out there and play free and fast,” he said. “Kyren and I are feeding off each other, so it’s been phenomenal.”
Against the Eagles, Williams bested Barkley, who was limited to 46 yards rushing in 18 carries.
Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champion, arrives Sunday averaging 112.7 yards rushing per game. Last week, he gained 102 yards and scored three touchdowns in 17 carries against the Tennessee Titans.
After each of the last two games, Taylor was named AFC offensive player of the week.
Both Williams and Corum aim to continue their production, and to break free for long gains. This season, each of their longest runs has been 15 yards.
“I know I’m capable to create not those 15-yard runs but those 40- and 50-yard runs,” Corum said. “Just need to keep working in practice to hopefully go out and show that on Sundays.”