Rams RB Darrell Henderson shows off playmaking ability vs. Eagles

Dealing with a hamstring injury at the start of the regular season, Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson Jr. showed what he can do when healthy.

With Cam Akers going down on the opening drive with a rib injury, Henderson got a chance to take over and made the most of his opportunity, finishing with 121 yards from scrimmage and a score.

Malcolm Brown also had an injured finger in the second half that affected his availability, leading to Henderson closing out the game for the Rams.

The Memphis product finished with 81 yards on the ground on 12 carries (6.8 yards per carry), including a long of 40 yards. Henderson added two receptions for 40 yards.

“I was really pleased with Darrell Henderson,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “I think he was a real bright spot for us, making some plays in the run and the pass game. That was something that Coach (Running backs coach Thomas) Brown and I talked about this week. We were not surprised to see that, although it was really good for him to be able to do that.”

A third-round selection last season for the Rams, Henderson’s issue has been staying healthy. He finished his rookie season on the injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain late in the year that required surgery.

Henderson totaled 147 yards his rookie season. But with Todd Gurley gone, Henderson was expected to take on a larger role in the offense this season. Certainly, Henderson’s production at Memphis merited those expectations.

Henderson finished as the second-leading rusher in Memphis history behind DeAngelo Williams (6,026 rushing yards), totaling 3,545 rushing yards during his college career for the Tigers.

Sunday’s game against the Eagles provided a glimpse of what Henderson can provide for L.A. on offense as a runner and receiver – explosive play-making ability.

“He did a great job,” Rams quarterback Jared Goff said. “It was really cool to see him run. He’s a player that we love, and love in a lot of different ways. You can throw the ball to him, you can run the ball with him. There’s certain runs that we love with him. It was exciting to see him kind of get his chance to shine today.”