This past season, the Rams finished second in the NFC West with a 10-7 record. With these statistics, the team would make the playoffs. Sadly, The Rams would lose to the Lions in a hard-fought battle, 23-24. Despite the loss, fans are very excited for this upcoming season. With a great mix of young and veteran talent, the Rams are in a great space for a playoff and Super Bowl push. This is shocking as just two year ago, the Rams were a bottom five team. So, what was the change? The biggest reason for the Rams’ unexpected rise was the unpredictable production of Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua.
in 2023, Kyren Williams was going into his second season after being drafted by the Rams. He was once again projected as being the back-up running back ahead of the 2023 season. However, in a unforseen way, Williams would finish the year with 1,350 scrimmage yards, 15 total touchdowns, and a Pro-Bowl nod. This production would help Williams become a second-team All-pro and even lead the league in rushing yards per game. This was out of nowhere as many fans did not even know of the name, Kyren Williams. Nonetheless, Williams is now ranked as a top tier running back just a season after he was considered a nameless back-up.
Puka Nacua has a story similar to his teammate’s. Puka Nacua was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. Despite being projected to make the roster, Nacua was unlikely to be a significant player in the offense. However, this would change as the team’s All-pro receiver, Cooper Kupp would go down with an ankle injury. This gave Nacua the starting spot in the offense he desperately needed. And in his very game, he put up 119 receiving yards in victory against the Seahawks. This was set the season for Nacua as he would finish with 1,486 receiving yards and broke the rookie receiving record, previously held by Bill Groman for 64 years.
For comparison, the Rams finished twenty-seventh in passing yards and twenty-eighth in rushing yards for the 2022 season. With the additions of Williams and Nacua, the team would be tenth in passing yards and eleventh in rushing yards. This goes to show how much this duo matters to the team. If it were not for the sudden production of Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua, the Rams would been in a much different situation going into 2024. This young duo is projected to do remarkable things for the Rams. With veterans like Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and talented young players like Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, the Rams are destined to accomplish big things in the 2024 season.