One of the few bright spots in the offense for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4 was the performance from running back Darrell Henderson.
Henderson made his return from a rib injury he suffered in Week 2 and was a force out of the backfield with 89 yards on 14 carries. He also added five receptions for 27 yards during the 37-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Despite averaging 6.4 yards per carry, the early lead from the Cardinals forced the Rams to go away from the run game. Regardless, head coach Sean McVay is happy with what he saw from Henderson.
“He did a nice job,” McVay said. “I thought Darrell (Henderson) was sharp from the jump. I thought our line did a good job creating some removal. We were running the ball efficiently. It just kind of got out in some of those situations when we weren’t able to stick with it when the score got out of hand. But I got to do a better job of being patient and making sure that, again, I’m putting our guys in better spots. But I thought Darrell (Henderson) did a nice job today.”
The fact that Henderson managed to hit the ground running coming is certainly a positive sign that there are no lingering effects from the injury. Having their primary option will go a long way for McVay as he looks to get this offense back on track on a short week versus the Seattle Seahawks.
The game script prevented Henderson from potentially securing his first 100-yard rushing game of the year. However, it showed that this offense is at its best when it is able to find a healthy balance between the run and passing game.
Even if Henderson is back in action, the Rams will likely continue to keep a watchful eye on his status and overall workload. Given the team’s high expectations for the 2021 NFL season, they will do what they can to ensure that he is as healthy as possible down the road.
Fortunately, the acquisition of running back Sony Michel should continue to pay some dividends as a viable contingency option. He filled in quite nicely for Henderson in Week 3 when he rushed for 67 yards on 20 carries against a stingy Tampa Bay Buccaneers run defense.
Michel registered just three carries for 11 yards while fumbling in Week 4, indicating that the Rams are comfortable with Henderson as the lead back as long as he is healthy.
