By John Turney 
Earlier today Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams gained 158 yards on 20 carriers (7.9 average per carry in a 26-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
In doing so he became 21st Rams runner to run for 150 or more yards in a single game. It was the 55th time a Rams runner did it.
Both are the most in NFL history by any franchise. However, the franchise with the second-most is the Oilers/Titans and their running backs have achieved that in fewer seasons having become a professional team in 1960. The Rams joined the NFL in 1937.
The last Ram to gain 150 or more yards was Cam Akers on December 10, 2020.
Players who spent part of their career include four Hall-of-Fame running backs Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson, Jerome Bettis and Ollie Matson.
Dickerson played four-and-a-half seasons and had 11 games of 150-plus. Faulk played seven years and had ten games surpassing the 150-yard mark. Those are the players with the most.
Other players with multiple games are Steven Jackson (five) Charles White (four), Dan Towler, Lawrence McCutcheon, Greg Bell, and Todd Gurley (all with three)
If you count playoff games, you can add two to Dickerson's total and one each for Faulk and McCutcheon.
By adding 158 yards he took his 2023 rushing total to 456 yards which is fourth in the league. His six rushing touchdowns are tied for sixth through NFL Week 6. He's on pace for anywhere between 1,200 and 1,300 yards, if he keeps up his current pace and also stays healthy.
We'll say. In the meantime the 5-9, 194-pound former Golden Domer has to be considered of the NFL's sleepers this season. He's played very well.
The Rams have always had good RBs. Eric Dickerson becomes more and more underrated as RBs get devalued.
ReplyDeleteDIckerson fit what Rams wanted to do at the time. He wouldn't have fit with the GSOT and later teams because he was not a great receiver or blocker. Faulk and Jackson were more complete. The values have changed, what teams want to do, what they want from running backs.
DeleteIf that is what you mean they would agree. But in the running back era -- when a runner was asked to run and if he could catch it was a bonus if not, oh well (Earl Campbell and others) Dickerson should be remembered as in the upper echelon of those guys.
Had some flaws but also caught on team(s) with poor passing games so limited playoff success. If you could stop Dickerson you'd beat the Rams.
Didn't E.D. catch a lot of passes as a rookie? Why do you say he's a bad receiver? He was okay. Rams had terrible QBs.
DeleteI think you said it. Dickerson was "okay" as a receiver. I didn't say "bad", I said "not great".
DeleteIn my opinion he was not a great receiver like the top backs in more recent Rams history like Faulk or Jackson. Faulk especially.
Faulk could run receiver routes from the slot or even outside. Dickerson was not asked, nor could have done them even if he were.
Faulk was a great receiver and a great blocker. That kind of skill set is what I mean by great, which is what I mean when I said Dickerson was "not" a great receiver or blocker.
I agree with you he was okay. And even in a passing offense he may have caugh more passes but he'd never been able to do what Faulk did. Or Jackson, in the passing game. he couldn't block like them either but he was the more elite runner.
As an aside, 1984 Nolan Cromwell knocked Dickerson out in camp on a pass. Some in Rams organization thought Dickerson became "concerned" about it and didn't like to be involved in passing routes as much. They took him out of the game much of the time after his rookie season. Possibly connected to that incident.
Finally, nothing wrong with being an okay or good receiver. Barry Sanders was one of top 2-3 runner ever but he was not a great receiver or blocker or goalline runner (often taken out on 3rd downs and goalline) But that does not mean he's not one of the very best ever.
To me, it just means he was not as compelte a back as Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson and other backs that are asked to do more than Dickerson, Sanders, Earl Campbell and backs of that era.
...there are many teams that have had strong, powerful running games that were productive and led to victory, yet with the exception of the Steelers, the Rams historically rank at the top. beware, if you challenge that statement, there will be statistical data to defend my statement. as herman edwards stated, "you play to win the game"
ReplyDelete