Davante Adams grabbed the headlines Monday night against the Giants, but the most dependable part of the Rams offense through two weeks has been sitting in the backfield. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum have been the steady force for Los Angeles, and their latest outing made that even clearer.
If not for Adams going off, the running game would have been the center of the Rams’ Week 2 win. Williams and Corum did more than just chip in - they outgained the Giants on the ground by more than three times, and they did it on only three more carries. Los Angeles has already shown it plans to split the workload more evenly this season, with Williams also giving the offense something extra as a receiver.
That early formula has worked. Williams and Corum have combined for 258 rushing yards in two games, a step up from their 117.5-yard average per game last season.
The more telling number is the efficiency: they’re averaging 5.7 yards per carry without yet ripping off a run longer than 20 yards. The explosive plays haven’t landed yet, but the consistent gains are already there.
Williams still found the end zone Monday, this time on a catch, giving him his second score of the season after he ran one in against San Francisco. The Rams still trust him near the goal line, but the split with Corum gives them a chance to lean into Corum’s big-play potential while also keeping Williams fresher over the long haul.
The one issue for Williams is ball security. To be fair, the Giants pulled off a textbook peanut punch to force the fumble in Monday’s game, and 2024 remains the only season in which ball security has really been a problem for him.
What also stands out is how much Williams brings as a pass-catcher. He has five receptions for 36 yards so far, and his touchdown route against the Giants - the one that put the Rams up 14-0 - showed the way he can run like a wideout despite his compact build.
The numbers on the ground back up the eye test, too. Williams is sitting at a 65.2 percent success rate, while Corum is at 68.2 percent. Those marks probably won’t stay there, but after both backs posted career highs last season, there’s plenty of reason to think the efficiency can keep climbing behind a strong offensive line.
That front has already been one of the Rams’ biggest positives. In Week 1, the line joined Williams and Corum as one of the few bright spots, and on Monday it kept Matthew Stafford protected for most of the night even after allowing the team’s first sack of the season. More than once, the Rams created huge running lanes as the Giants defense wore down.
That’s the danger for any defense facing this backfield: give Corum room, and he can take off in a hurry. Williams can do the same once he gets into space.
In Other News...
Poona Ford Just Gave Rams Fans Real Hope Up Front
Poona Fords Rams debut in Week 1 did not give anyone much reason to believe the front would hold up the way the team needed, but his response in Week 2 looked a lot closer to the player Los Angeles was counting on. Working next to Aaron Donald, Ford helped steady the middle of the line and gave the Rams a sturdier answer against the run, something that has been a point of emphasis for a defense trying to establish itself early.
Against the Giants, the improvement showed up in the most direct way possible: New York was limited to 52 rushing yards on 21 carries. For a Rams defense that has leaned on disruptive interior play in the past, Fords ability to occupy space, hold his ground and make life harder between the tackles matters well beyond one afternoon, because the front now has a more believable path to consistency than it did seven days earlier. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Made A Move To Fix A Growing Special Teams Problem
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To make room, the Rams placed running back Ronnie Rivers on injured reserve, opening the door for a player who could be used mostly on coverage units and other special teams work. It is the kind of adjustment teams make when they want to clean up one part of the roster without overhauling everything, and it suggests the Rams are taking the problem seriously as they search for a more reliable answer. [Read more 🡒]
Davante Adams Sparked A Viral Debate Rams Fans Didnt See Coming
Davante Adams has been a familiar name around the Rams orbit since the wideouts endorsement work with Taco Bell turned into one of those oddly memorable football-adjacent marketing moments. The campaign even got a pop-up called Davantes House at SoFi Stadium, and Adams has talked about it in media appearances, helping fuel the kind of online chatter that can take on a life of its own around a star player.
The latest debate, though, came from fans running with the joke a little too far and treating the branding like it meant Adams literally had a Taco Bell in his home. He does not, of course, and the confusion has only added another layer to a story that already had Rams supporters paying attention, especially with Adams also drawing notice for his praise of Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie in a recent interview. [Read more 🡒]