Meet Kyren Williams: Rams React - ‘All the Trust in the World!
Midway through the third quarter, the Los Angeles Rams' offense was rolling and looking to take the lead.
They had marched 41 yards down the field, and quarterback Matthew Stafford was looking for running back Kyren Williams on a curl route but the ball slid right through his hands. The one-handed interception by San Francisco cornerback Isaiah Oliver led to a 49ers field goal that broke a 17-17 tie.
"There's no more conscientious guy on our team, nobody that wants to do right more than that guy, so I got no problem with it," Stafford said after the game. "He knows he can catch that ball, but it's part of it. There's going to be those things that are unfortunate that don't go your way in this game, but all the trust in the world in him and his process and his ability to get it done."
However, that one blemish shouldn't overshadow what was otherwise a solid day at the office for Williams. He had 52 yards and a touchdown, while hauling in six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Williams was injured on his first career snap last season and was forced to miss seven weeks and came back in a limited roll, garnering just 35 carries across eight of the last nine games. Now that he's the feature back in Los Angeles, especially with rumors of Cam Akers getting traded, Williams is finally showcasing the talents he couldn't last year.
"Being able to come back a year later and be where I'm at now, it's just a blessing," Williams said on "Vamos Rams" Friday. "I'm super excited that I was able to go out there and showcase my skills and showcase everything that I was able to do. I know it's a step in the right direction, but it's something I can never be satisfied about, and I got to continue to keep working and continue to get better so I can keep having weeks like that."
Heading into his rookie season, Williams broke his foot in camp that held him out of most of the preseason before suffering a high ankle sprain against the Buffalo Bills. Williams revealed that he took for granted the ability to walk after his injury.
Williams said he "didn't have a right foot for four to five months" and it showed in his return, tallying just 139 yards and 2022. However, it wasn't until last week against the Seattle Seahawks that he found the end zone for the first time in the NFL, and he didn't just do it once, either, scoring on 1- and 7-yard touchdown runs.
The fifth-round pick is averaging 3.59 yards on 29 carries this season, but with the way Stafford is playing, throwing for the third-most yards in the NFL across the first two games, he hasn't had to be Superman on the ground.
The Rams' identity is to throw the ball first. While gaining yards on the ground is great, Williams adds a lot of value to Los Angeles' offense by pass-blocking and serving as a reliable checkdown option for Stafford.
Williams played with effort, as well.
On a first-and-10 in the second quarter, Williams leaked out to the flat and the throw was behind him which carried his momentum to the ground. However, with 49ers converging, Williams didn't wait to be touched down at the 32-yard line.
Instead, he got up, made Oliver and linebacker Fred Warner miss and drove through linebacker Dre Greenlaw to turn what would have been a 2-yard gain into a 10-yarder.
"I thought he did really well," head coach Sean McVay said. "I thought he had command of what was going on. I thought he made his plays. I thought his extra effort, especially whether it was running or just his feel in the screen game being able to catch a low pass and then be able to create a little bit after the catch."
