Thursday Night Football saw the Los Angeles Rams face the visiting New England Patriots. It was an important match for the Rams as they needed the win to become first in the NFC West division.
The Rams were able to blowout the Patriots by a score of 24-3. One of the major catalysts to the Rams offense was rookie running back Cam Akers. The 21-year-old running back had a career performance with a career-high of 171 rushing yards. Those 171 yards were achieved in just 29 carries with an average of nearly six yards per carry. That performance became the most for an NFL rookie this season.
By the end of the first quarter, Akers had recorded 70 yards off six carries. In the second quarter, he added an additional 19 yards to his total. Akers’ performance has been steadily improving and increasing with each passing week. Last week, against the Arizona Cardinals, he rushed for 72 yards and a nine-yard touchdown. Two weeks ago, he rushed for 84 yards and a one-yard touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers.
Coach Sean McVay was not surprised by how good he is developing so far. “This really started with the way that he’s been practicing,” McVay said. “He’s a creative runner, he can put his shoulder down, he can finish and he’s got the explosive speed. You can just see that this guy is going to be a very special player and this was a great night for him.”
Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff praised the young running back. “I thought tonight, it was on full display for everyone to see what he could do,” Goff said. “He’s a special talent, special player, humble kid, does a great job, works hard, and deserves all this.”
