The Los Angeles Rams have had one of the best running back duos in the NFL this season. After being primarily a one-running back team under head coach Sean McVay, the Rams have utilized both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in 2025. The result has been arguably the best Rams rushing attack in the McVay era.
As it stands, the Rams have a rushing success rate of 48.3 percent via Next Gen Stats and are averaging 0.02 EPA per rush. Both of those numbers are just shy of what Todd Gurley accomplished in 2018.
With that said, the Rams are averaging 0.8 rushing yards over expected per attempt. In 2018, they had -0.1 rushing yards over expected per attempt.
This has evolved into a rushing attack that the Rams should be able to ride down the stretch. When it comes to December and January football, having the ability to lean on a stable run game is invaluable. That’s exactly what the Rams currently have with Williams and Corum. Both running backs have the ability to keep the offense on track and ahead of the chains. As shown last week, Corum has the ability to provide an aspect of explosiveness and big-play ability that the running game has lacked over the past few seasons.
Since Week 7, the Rams have done a commendable job splitting the carries between Williams and Corum. Williams has taken just 50.5 percent of the team’s rushing attempts during that time frame which ranks 21st in the NFL. The result has been a fresher and therefore more effective Kyren Williams.
Williams is averaging 4.9 yards per carry which is similar to what he had in 2023 when he missed time due to injury. His 54.1 percent success rate is also a career-high. Additionally, 10.2 percent of his carries have gone for 10 or more yards which is nearly two percent higher than what he did last season.
The idea with giving Corum more touches has always been to keep Williams fresh. From Weeks 1-13 in 2024, Williams had 222 carries for 926 yards and averaged 4.17 yards per carry with a 52.7 percent success rate. Over the final four games of the regular season, he averaged 3.97 yards per carry with a 46.8 percent success rate.
This isn’t to say that Williams hit a wall. However, he was at his most effective in 2023 with 228 rushing attempts. During his first 220 carries of 2024, he was at his most effective. He had eight games last season with 20 or more carries. He’s eclipsed 20 carries in one game this year.
With Williams and Corum splitting carries, it has made both players more effective. Williams is averaging 4.9 yards per carry this season with a career-high 45.7 percent rushing success rate. With Williams breaking down defenses inside, Corum has been able to use his speed more to get to the edge. Their skill sets complement each other perfectly.
However, when it comes to a running back tandem, it can always be difficult to determine who gets the carries and when. For the most part, the Rams have alternated series between the two players. That’s resulted in a near 60-40 split. Williams has 64 carries to Corum’s 47 since Week 10. With that said, given Corum’s current form, it’s worth wondering if that should shift a little bit in the other direction.
This isn’t to say that Corum should become the lead back and take 70 percent of the carries in the run game. The answer to the Rams’ run game has never been either Kyren Williams or Blake Corum. As seen in the numbers, these players work best together. The answer has always been both.
Still, when it comes to a running back tandem, it makes sense to ride the hot hand. Similarly to the game against the Seattle Seahawks, it’s curious that the Rams stuck firmly to their rotation rather than ride Williams who averaged 7.6 yards per carry as Corum averaged 1.2. A serious argument can be made that the Rams should have given more of Corum’s carries to Williams.
In that same mindset, it’s fair to ask if the split should go from 60-40 in favor of Williams to 60-40 in favor of Corum. After the last two games, it would make sense to shift some more of the workload in Corum’s direction for the time being. Corum has had back-to-back career games, averaging over 10 yards per carry in both. Over the past four games, Corum is averaging 1.25 more yards per carry than Williams. His explosive run rate of 11.8 percent is nearly double Williams’ and he’s forced more missed tackles per attempt in that time frame. Corum is also averaging more yards after contact per attempt. He’s first in EPA per rush and running back DVOA.
Again, this isn’t to say that Corum is overall better than Williams or that he should see a large majority of the carries. Right now, the Rams have two quality running backs and being able to lean on two guys is valuable. Riding the hot hand and determining the carries on a week-by-week basis also adds an element of unpredictability from the offense.
With all of that being said, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Both running backs play their roles well. Williams is the grinder that keeps the offense on track while Corum adds a more dynamic running style. The Rams are set to face the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks over the next two weeks in what will be a pair of big games. Being able to lean on a veteran like Williams while continuing to mix in Corum is probably still the best path forward.
Either way, this is a good problem for the Rams to have. This is an offense that has lacked depth at the running back position in recent years. What the Rams have at running back is rare. Corum is on pace for 719 yards. If that happens, it will be the first time since 1980 that the Rams have had two running backs with 700 or more yards in a season. Cullen Bryant and Elvis Peacock accomplished that feat 45 years ago.
To add to that, it would be the first time since 1973 that they would have one running back go for 1,000 yards and the other go for at least 700. The running backs that season were Lawrence McCutcheon and Jim Bertelsen. In both seasons, the Rams lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
The Rams have one of the best running back tandems in the NFL this season. Corum ranks first in EPA per rush while Williams ranks eighth. They rank first and second in rushing success rate. Both players have shown their value, ranking second and eighth in DYAR. However the Rams opt to use this duo moving forward, the best thing that they can do is continue using them together.
