The Los Angeles Rams will have a three-headed rushing attack for Super Bowl LVI. The matchup between the Rams’ backfield and the Bengals defensive front is interesting considering that the Bengals have allowed over 100 rushing yards in each playoff game so far this post season and the Rams backfield (post-season) only hit the 100+ yard mark one time, in the wild-card blowout over the Arizona Cardinals.
With Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson back from injury, we can expect them to be the one-two punch from the backfield with Sony Michel as a change of pace.
In the month of December, before getting injured, Henderson was a top ten running back, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Michel has done a decent job filling in as the starting back totaling 121 this post-season, but as soon as Akers returned from his Achilles tended injury, he took on the primary role with his explosiveness from the backfield.
The Rams’ rushing attack may not be the reason they win Super Bowl LVI, but who they choose to use in certain situations will be critical. Akers will be the guy who can get to the edge. Henderson and Michel are guys who work very well between the tackles.
When we take a look at the Rams’ rushing attack, it’s primarily run from a single=back formation focused on successful play-action.
The jet-motion at pre-snap forces the linebackers to shift to one side. At the snap of the ball, a backside receiver will come across the line of scrimmage as a lead blocker for the running back.
Now, the ballcarrier has a few choices before hitting the line of scrimmage: follow his lead blocker, hit the cutback lane from the shift, or bounce it outside.
What makes Henderson so good when running this type of play is his choice at the mesh point, and then using his downhill speed to hit the hole with burst.
We just don’t see that same decision-making from Akers when running between the tackles.
Henderson is able to lure the defense to the line of scrimmage, and then put his foot in the ground and cut the play back to the opposite side.
Henderson keeps a defense on its toes.
Getting Akers involved will be critical for the Rams offense to remain multi-dimensional. We may even see the Rams use Akers early on to spread the field, and then give Henderson the ball up the middle.
Akers has had success with the same misdirection from a single-back look. His specialty is using his speed to bounce the play to the outside getting to the edge.
Using Akers to bounce it outside will be important for the Rams as they spread the defense sideline to sideline, opening middle of the field for play-action. Akers will be the guy to get the job done.
Once Akers gets a few touches, the run game can evolve from single-back into shotgun as the Rams start to run some tosses.
The Bengals might be the worst run defense the Rams have faced this post-season. Their linebackers tend to get sucked into the trenches and teams are able to bounce the play to the outside with success.
Against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, we saw the Bengals let this happen late in the game. If the Rams use those same looks, Akers should have a day.
Consider also the Bengals’ preference for dropping as many as eight defenders into coverage. Running effectively against those light boxes is the best way to bend Cincinnati’s defense into more conventional — and exploitable — coverage schemes.
All three running backs have had success in the Rams’ offense, and they each have their own specialties. Akers can hit the edge quicker than Michel and Henderson. Henderson preforms better between the tackles than both Michel and Akers. Michel can efficiently get the job done both inside and outside, then also has experience with a gap-style run scheme.
With all the talk about Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. this week, it could be the Rams’ ground game, and not its aerial attack, that makes the difference in Super Bowl LVI.