L.A. Rams No. 9 impact play: Cam Akers gashes Niners for 61 yards

Florida State product should emerge as engine of offense in 2021

In this series, we countdown the top 10 impact plays for the Los Angeles Rams that helped shape the team’s 2020 season.

Situation: 1st and 10 on L.A.’s 32-yard line

Score: Rams trail 17-13

Time: Thirty-two seconds left in third quarter.

Williams’ take: Akers hits a seam on an inside run against San Francisco’s defense and explodes for a 61-yard play, setting up the Rams for a score on an Akers’ 1-yard run. Los Angeles ended up losing the game, but Akers’ run was his longest run of the season, and part of a three-game stretch in which he scored a touchdown. The Florida State product began to gain confidence and added some swagger to L.A.’s offense. Longtime offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth’s quote about Akers says a lot about what this team believes he can be in the future.

“He’s special,” Whitworth said. “He’s a special kid, with his heart and his passion, much less the talent. He’s one of those that, even as a rookie, his chatter, his talk and his belief in us and himself, and what we can do is really special.

“I look forward to him having tremendous growth here, because the way he’s wired, if he can stay healthy he’s going to be a different one for sure. … He’s going to be a guy that’s not only going to be a good football player, but I would imagine Cam Akers is going to be a leader on this football team very quickly.”

Check out the play here:

Season impact: In the San Francisco game, Akers started to show that he could be an every-down runner in the NFL, with his dynamic playmaking ability, willingness to finish runs in the red zone and versatility as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Rams head coach Sean McVay wants to make Akers the engine of his offense, similar to a role Todd Gurley filled for him early in his tenure with the Rams. We should see more from Akers in 2021, including plays like this direct snap that he scored a touchdown on in the playoffs against the Packers. The expectation is Akers will emerge as one of the top backs in the NFL in 2021.