Neither Cam Akers nor Allen Robinson played in the preseason, getting all three games off. After watching the Rams’ season opener against the Bills, you’d wonder if they played in that game, either.
Buy Rams TicketsAkers carried the ball three times for zero yards, playing only 18% of the snaps. Robinson played nearly every snap on offense and ran 47 routes, but he was targeted just twice – one of which came on the Rams’ last play of the night.
It was a shockingly quiet night from two players who were expected to be among the Rams’ biggest playmakers. After the game, Sean McVay attempted to explain the lack of involvement for both players.
He pinned it on a lack of rhythm offensively, saying he wants to get a lot more guys involved moving forward.
“We just really didn’t get in much of a rhythm tonight, so it was tough to get anything,” McVay said. “I’d like to get Allen more involved, like to get a lot more guys involved. But overall, it was a tough night for us and it was a poor night in terms of the overall decision-making for my standpoint, and that’s something I’m looking forward to correcting.”
McVay can’t control who Matthew Stafford targets, but he can call plays that are designed to go to a certain receiver. That didn’t happen for Robinson, and as a result, Stafford barely looked his way.
As far as Akers goes, it’s much easier to get him involved. Darrell Henderson Jr. got the start and touched the ball 18 times compared to just three for Akers. If McVay wanted to get Akers involved, he could’ve given him one of the nine first-down carries Henderson got.
It’s clear Henderson is the favorite back right now, and perhaps Akers can change that in the coming weeks, but McVay didn’t seem very interested in giving him the ball.
