BALTIMORE – Postgame after Thursday Night Football, Rams running back Kyren Williams took that Week 5 loss personally, and frankly very hard.
He felt like he let his teammates down after fumbling at the one-yard line and getting stopped on 4th and 1 in overtime. He vowed to keep working.
Williams made good on his word, recording 87 scrimmage yards and the go-ahead touchdown to help the Rams pull away in the second half of their 17-3 Rams win over the Ravens last Sunday.
"It continues to confirm and reaffirm who he is and what he's about," head coach Sean McVay said Monday, when asked about Williams' response. "I'm glad that the way that you asked that, you said 'It was one play,' because there were a lot of really good things he did in that game. You look at the ball security in this league like I talked about, man, it's the same focus and concentration that's required of a boxer or a UFC fighter in terms of always being on guard. These defensive guys do such a phenomenal job. ... Love the response, love the guy and love everything he's about. I wasn't surprised though based on the approach and the immediate response afterwards because that's who Kyren Williams is."
McVay postgame in Week 6 took the blame for the play call and putting Williams in that position. Wide receiver Puka Nacua said he "owed" Williams one, indicating he shared some responsibility in the play being unsuccessful. In the following days, teammates publicly backed him.
As McVay alluded to, despite two moments, there was still plenty of good that Williams did that displayed why he means so much to L.A.'s offense, accounting for 131 of their 456 total net yards and being on the receiving end of two of Stafford's three passing touchdowns against San Francisco.
Against Baltimore, Williams' three-yard rushing touchdown gave the Rams their first lead of that game; it was set up by his own impressive 30-yard catch down the left sideline while drawing pass interference on the defender.
"Just being able to play fast, decisive, make those type of plays, man, that's what I'm that's what I'm trying to continue to keep doing," Wiliams told theRams.com. "That's what I feel like when I'm at my best, is when I'm doing things like that. But just being able to contribute in all phases, that's kind of what I harp myself on, being able to block, catch and run the ball. And so being able to do all those, do all those things, and have it show up, it means a lot to me."
That dual production and playmaking carries increased importance this week if Nacua, who has been the focal point of the offense to this point, ends up not playing on Sunday against the Jaguars in London.
Williams has the opportunity to do so backed by reaffirmed and confirmed confidence.
"It feels good (to respond the way I did)," Williams said. "I don't really try to let it affect me. When things like that happen, I give myself a 24-hour grace period of like feeling the way I felt. Obviously, it sucked, like, it felt terrible. I let those thoughts get in my head. But as soon as the next day rose, the sunrise came, and I was able to see that, man, I'm still blessed to be able to just be in a position that I am. I'm able to still put 10 toes on the ground, and I'm still able to be the person I've always wanted to be. And so after that happened, that's when I'm able to shake that stuff and being able to come back and just be the person that I know I am."
