It's one of the more unbelievable comeback stories you'll see in sports, and quite literally up there with what was witnessed from Adrian Peterson in yesteryear after the future Hall of Fame running back suffered a torn ACL before returning to absolutely own the league. Granted, Cam Akers hasn't been rattling off 200-yard games in his return for the Los Angeles Rams, but the fact he's even on the field at all this postseason is a miraculous feat that mirrors Peterson's physical recovery -- hoping to punctuate his climb back with a breakout game in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium.
Having torn his Achilles in mid-July, Akers was placed on what many justifiably believed would be season-ending injured reserve and torpedoing what might've been a breakout season for him. He'd instead buck the odds and return to the field for the postseason, and that alone deserves a rooting interest, but if he can have a breakout game in the Super Bowl, it will be a fireworks ending to a fairy-tale story.
"First and foremost, it's an incredible tribute to Cam in his ability to be able to tear his Achilles just before the start of training camp and to come back, to be available, he's just one of those guys that just brings a spark to this team," head coach Sean McVay told media on Super Bowl LVI Opening Night. "I think his upside is phenomenal and he's going to be a core piece of our team for years to come."
It hasn't been all peaches and cream for Akers in his return, however, having fumbled twice in the narrow escape from Raymond James Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round, but McVay never considered pulling him or scaling him back due to potential rust.
"Just watching his work ethic and to be able to get a player that has the explosiveness, elusiveness and strength to break tackles," said McVay. "If there's anything I knew about him, if there's anyone who was going to respond the right way after a couple times putting the ball on the ground against the Bucs, it was Cam. I thought he came back, ran hard and he did a great job with ball security through some of those tight traffic areas."
And with the biggest game of Akers' career approaching, the Rams are looking to make him a driving force for Matthew Stafford and the offense. He's set to go up against a Bengals defense that allowed 1,742 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns this season on an average of 4.3 yards per carry, but also one that forced six fumbles on opposing running backs, an omen regarding the aforementioned issue Akers had against the Buccaneers. Therefore, ball security will be paramount for him.
Look for the Rams to use him however they can, be it as a halfback and as a receiver out of the backfield. They'll need to get him involved early and often to truly make the Bengals account for him, seeing as he's not yet scored a touchdown in his return, having also rushed for more than 50 yards only once this postseason. But considering how electric he can be, it feels like there's just a matter of time before the 2020 version of Akers shows up and, for the Rams, there's no better time than the Super Bowl.
"He's going to be a big part of this game," McVay said. "And hopefully we'll be able to establish the run game and, when the ball is in his hands, good things happen."
Entering his second season as pro, Akers ended his rookie year in impressive fashion and was seen as a potential breakout player for 2021, prior to tearing his Achilles. After getting the nod as the Rams' second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he was mostly caged last season until Week 11-ish, when he rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on an awe-inspiring 9.33 yards per attempt. That would turn out to be a prelude for two weeks later, when he ran rampant over the New England Patriots in Week 14 -- to the tune of 171 rushing yards.
In doing so, he put the entire league on notice that he had the chops to not only be the starting RB for the Rams, but that he could get the dirty yards as much as readily as he could hit the home run. He'd continue his momentum in the playoffs one year ago, rushing for 131 yards against the Seattle Seahawks on NFL Super Wild Card Weekend and even in the Rams' loss to the Green Bay Packers the following week, Akers was still impactful with 90 yards rushing.
All signs pointed to him having a stellar season with Stafford now under center, but most of it was lost, leaving Akers only the postseason to make his presence felt. He'll take it, though, considering odds were he wouldn't take the field again until the 2022 season, having beat them to position his team one win away from hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.
