Turnovers have plagued the Los Angeles Rams but somehow the team has been able to overcome them to pull out wins recently.
Up comfortable by two scores, the Rams were well on their way to a relatively easy victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round before finding ways to nearly throw away the game. Cam Akers was the culprit of a costly lost fumble in the fourth quarter that allowed the Buccaneers to score and tie the contest at 27-27.
Even though Akers had trouble holding onto the football, also fumbling earlier in the game in the red zone, head coach Sean McVay explained why he stuck with the running back down the stretch:
“Yeah I think it’s really the confidence in Cam [Akers] but we do have confidence in Sony [Michel], it was tough to really be able to get anything in the run game going, they did a nice job.
“[We] always talk about that, to be able to have that great ball security, especially when you’re in those four-minute situations where you’re really just trying to run the clock out. Still, we needed to compete and wanted to be able to do that, he was making a tough run, as he was pulling through it, it got a little away from him, and this defense does an outstanding job attacking at the football – great learning [opportunity], and I know he’ll learn and he’ll respond the right way from it.”
Akers has shown no signs of rust or lack of burst since returning from his Achilles injury and it speaks volumes that McVay was willing to ride with him despite his mistakes. Aside from the two fumbles, Akers had some tough runs to help the Rams build their big lead.
Despite the fumbles though, it appears Akers has reclaimed his role as the lead back and the Rams will need him to play like the young star he is in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
