The Los Angeles Rams offense got a major boost in Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals as it marked the return of Kyren Williams.
Williams missed the previous four games with a high-ankle sprain, but was activated off the injured reserve list prior to the game against the Cardinals. It was a triumphant return for Williams who resumed his role as the workhorse back and absolutely dominated Arizona both on the ground and through the air.
The second-year player had a career day as he recorded 204 total yards from scrimmage, with 143 of it coming on the ground. He had two touchdown receptions as well. Williams was unstoppable when he had the football in his hands, and Sean McVay and the offense rode him to an impressive 37-14 win.
After the game, Williams emphasized how healthy he’s feeling despite the time off, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“How many – 200 yards from scrimmage?” Williams said, when asked how his ankle is. “I want to say (I feel) 200 percent this time.”
Williams looked visibly excited to back on the field and he said that his energy came out naturally to uplift his teammates:
“Yeah, they’ll come up to me and tell me, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing. In the huddle, it makes a lot of a difference when you’re in there,'” Williams said. “Like I said, I don’t do anything on purpose. I don’t try to do that to uplift them – this is who I am. I love doing this, and when I get out there, I’m able just to play free, be who I am.”
It was apparent early on in the 2023 season that Williams would have a sizable role in the offense and he quickly got his chance to prove he can handle the workload after the team decided to trade away Cam Akers. The offense sorely missed Williams while he was out, but he showed what the unit can do when they’ve got all their pieces healthy.
After his Week 12 performance, Williams should be getting all the touches he can handle though he may have trouble replicating that level of success when the Rams take on the stout Cleveland Browns defense next week.
Matthew Stafford admits thumb isn’t feeling 100 percent
Williams’ ability to dominate the game allowed Matthew Stafford to take a backseat in the offense. Stafford is still dealing with a sprained thumb and he admitted that he’s still not feeling 100 percent healthy.
