The Los Angeles Rams are hoping running back Kyren Williams can give their rushing game a boost when facing the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Williams, out since Week 6 with an ankle injury, is expected to take some heart off of quarterback Matthew Stafford and recharge an offense which has gone dormant.
“He’s a guy that we have missed,’’ Rams coach Sean McVay said.
When last spotted Williams was rushing for a career-high 154 yards as L.A. defeated Arizona, 26-9, on Oct. 15. It marked the second time this year in which Williams ran for at least 100 yards, and the third occasion that he collected 100 yards from scrimmage in a game.
Williams’ emergence earlier in the year allowed the Rams to feel comfortable in peddling Cam Akers, the team’s top back coming out of camp.
Williams, a former fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame, rewarded L.A.’s faith in him by showing a nose for the end zone, as six of his seven touchdowns came in the red zone. All but one of his scores are from on the ground.
“His productivity, his play energy, his overall presence,’’ McVay said about what Williams brings to the unit.
The offense, which was also without Stafford (thumb) for six quarters, has been challenged since Williams was sidelined. In the first four games in which Williams’ skills of rushing and supplying solid pass protection were in the mix, the Rams averaged 23 points a game.
In the last four games, in which the Rams (4-6) have lost three, they have averaged nearly nine fewer points.
Williams has certainly proven his value, when healthy, as he counts but $684,265 against the team’s salary cap.
