One NFC team that could be a dark horse this season is the Los Angeles Rams.
Predicted by some to have a terrible 2023 campaign, the Rams won 10 games, made the playoffs and nearly upset the NFC North champion Detroit Lions.
One of the reasons for their unexpected success was the emergence of running back Kyren Williams, who in his second pro season ran for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 32 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns despite missing five games.
Normally, teams designate a young wide receiver as their punt returner, but according to Rams head coach Sean McVay, Williams will handle that duty this season, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.
Sean McVay said Kyren Williams will be the Rams’ punt returner.
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) August 27, 2024
This seems to be a curious decision given that Williams is one of the Rams’ most important offensive weapons and that punt returns are one of the most violent plays in football.
He isn’t particularly fast, as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, where he was a fifth-round selection, and he appears to be at least somewhat injury-prone.
Williams played in just 10 games as a rookie because of a high ankle sprain, and last season, he had another ankle sprain, plus a hip injury and then a broken hand he suffered in the playoff contest against Detroit.
If Los Angeles stays relatively healthy this season, they could improve on last year’s win total and, in the minds of some pundits, challenge the San Francisco 49ers for first place in the NFC West.
The Rams have done a remarkable job of drafting, which has allowed them to rebound from their horrific Super Bowl championship defense in 2022 to again become a viable contender so quickly.
