Blake Corum had just completed the first 100-yard rushing performance of his NFL career, and Rams coach Sean McVay awarded him a game ball after Sunday’s rout of the Arizona Cardinals.
Corum, a second-year pro, was obviously elated.
But he did not spend much time reveling in the achievement.
“It’s on to the next,” he said, an attitude he maintained as he filtered through congratulatory messages from family and friends.
“I expect to have those types of games,” Corum said Wednesday, “so when they do happen, all right, this is great. … But it’s on to the next.”
The Rams offense is coming off a high-flying 45-point performance against the Cardinals. Receiver Puka Nacua was named NFC offensive player of the week. Quarterback Matthew Stafford got back on track for a run at the league’s most valuable player award.
The best sign for the Rams, however, was the second strong performance by the rushing attack.
That’s good news for a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender as it prepares to play the Detroit Lions on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The Rams can clinch a playoff spot with a victory.
As the Rams can attest — based on their defeats by the Lions in the 2023 playoffs and the 2024 season opener — the Lions feature one of the NFL’s best running back combinations in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
But the Rams have made strides to develop a similarly complementary pair in Kyren Williams and Corum.
Williams, 25, has rushed for 952 yards and eight touchdowns in 196 carries. He also has 26 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns.
Corum, two months younger than Williams, has rushed for 550 yards and four touchdowns in 101 carries. He has six catches for 13 yards.
Rams running backs Kyren Williams, left, and Blake Corum have proven to be one of the best rushing tandems in the NFL this season.
(Chris Szagola / Associated Press)
“We feed off each other,” said Corum, a 2024 third-round pick from Michigan. “I love seeing the success he has when I’m watching, and vice-versa.”
The duo showed signs of a breakout when they combined for 153 yards rushing and both scored touchdowns in a 31-28 defeat by the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 30.
Against the Cardinals, Corum rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns in 12 carries, including one scoring run that covered 48 yards. Williams gained 84 yards and scored a touchdown in 13 carries.
“We mix it up very good,” Williams said, to the point that opposing defenses, “don’t know how to attack us both.
“The 1-2 punch that we got going on is something significant.”
Last season, Williams carried the ball 316 times, third most in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley (345) and Derrick Henry (325). Corum carried the ball only 57 times for 208 yards.
The Rams selected running back Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round of the draft, adding him to a running back corps that also included veteran Ronnie Rivers.
In August, the Rams gave Williams a three-year extension that includes $23 million in guarantees. But the Rams aimed to increase Corum’s role for balance, and to keep Williams physically sound.
“Them being able to play off of one another allows them to just be fresher as the season and as games go on,” McVay said.
With four games remaining in the regular season, and the playoffs ahead, Williams said he feels more fresh at this point of the season than in his previous three.
“It honestly feels like I’ve only played a couple games this whole season … bodywise,” he said.
Williams and Corum credit the offensive line, tight ends and receivers for clearing the way. And Stafford for masterfully operating the offense.
After the victory over the Cardinals, Stafford said he had complete trust in both backs.
“There is no, ‘Hey, this guy’s in, we have to do this. This guy’s in, we have to do that,’” Stafford said. “We just call our offense and both of those guys feed off of each other.”
The next challenge for Williams and Corum will be consistently performing the way they did against the Cardinals.
“Now,” Corum said, “we’ve just got to build on that.”
This story originally appeared on LA Times
