Los Angeles Rams' Kyren Williams Was Unsung Hero vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Indianapolis Colts 29-23 in overtime on Sunday afternoon. However, they nearly blew a 23-0 lead that they held up until the midway point of the third quarter.
The Rams were stellar on both sides of the ball up until the turning point, as Los Angeles led the first down battle 17-5 at the half.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford connected well with pass catchers Puka Nacua and Tyler Higbee during their dominant stretch, but running back Kyren Williams put most of the points on the board and kept Indianapolis' offense off the field.
Williams had 17 carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and his scores came on the Rams' first two possessions. The 23-year-old even made history, as his five rushing touchdowns this season are the most by a Rams player through four games since Marshall Faulk in 2000.
There have been plenty of examples in the past of teams blowing massive second-half leads because they chose to pass the ball instead of running and chewing the clock at a more efficient rate.
The Rams joined the trend midway through the third quarter to the end of regulation, as Williams ran just seven times for 25 yards during that span. As previously stated, the Rams produced 17 first downs in the first half, but just seven in the second.
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) runs the ball while Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard (53) defends in the first quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Indianapolis took advantage of the Rams' risky play-calling and climbed all the way back to tie the game at 23 and forced overtime.
All it took was a winning overtime coin toss for the Rams to realize that Williams needed to get the ball if they wanted to avoid an upset.
Nacua started the fifth quarter with a big 20-yard reception to get Los Angeles toward midfield. They then put the ball in the hands of Williams on the next three plays as he ran once for a couple of yards and hauled in two catches for a combined 18.
After the Rams gained three first downs in overtime alone, they sealed the deal with a 22-yard touchdown to Nacua.
While the game was indeed a thrilling win, it didn't need to be. If they used Williams more in the second half, the Rams could've perhaps won by a lot more than 23.
