After gaining more than 100 yards from scrimmage in Weeks 2 and 3, it seemed as though Darrell Henderson had emerged as the top running back for the Rams. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and 6.9 yards per touch against the Eagles and Bills in place of an injured Cam Akers, scoring two touchdowns in the process, as well.
But just when we thought there was some clarity on the Rams’ running back committee, Sean McVay once again left us guessing. On Sunday against the Giants, Henderson played only 22 snaps compared to 35 for Malcolm Brown, and only touched the ball nine times; Brown had 14 touches himself.
Neither player was much of a factor in Week 4 as the Giants not only did a good job stopping the run, but they also took away screen passes to the running backs and rallied to the ball when Jared Goff checked it down. Brown rushed for 37 yards on nine carries, while Henderson gained only 22 yards on eight attempts. Combined, the two averaged only 3.5 yards per carry, with the team rushing for a total of 58 yards – 95 fewer than any other game this season.
Moving forward, it’s anyone’s guess as to which running back will command the most touches and playing time. It’ll get even more complicated when Akers returns from his rib injury, which could potentially be this week if he’s able to practice.
McVay said before the season that the team would likely ride the hot hand, whoever that ended up being. Henderson certainly had been playing better than Brown in the previous two weeks, and he was rewarded with eight carries – four of which came on the opening drive.
He only got one carry in the fourth quarter while the Rams were leading, going two possessions without even playing a snap. His second-to-last carry came with 6:53 left in the third quarter, and he didn’t touch the ball again until 2:33 were left on the clock in the fourth – which was also his last touch. Neither Henderson nor Brown really got going on Sunday so it’s not as if McVay abandoned one of them in the midst of a great game, but his decision to go away from Henderson so quickly was surprising.
Give the Giants credit for shutting down the Rams’ running game, which was one of the 10 best in the NFL, but this game did nothing to provide clarity to the backfield situation in L.A. Week 4 threw a wrench into things and almost derailed the Henderson hype train after it had a full head of steam after Weeks 2 and 3.
Akers’ health will be worth monitoring leading up to Week 5 against Washington, and if he’s available, it will be telling to see which running back gets the start. Will Akers reclaim his role as the starter? Or will McVay stick with Henderson despite limiting his snaps on Sunday against the Giants?
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