The Los Angeles Rams have enough firepower to win without asking Davante Adams to become a one-man rescue operation.
That didn’t stop Sean McVay from repeatedly calling his number once the future Hall of Fame wide receiver caught fire.
Adams finished with eight receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ 28-6 win over the New York Giants on Sept. 21.
It was his fourth-highest receiving total in a regular-season game, per the Rams’ official website, and the kind of performance his teams once needed from him to survive.
The 33-year-old put any doubts to rest regarding his ability to dominate, but the Rams don’t need every victory to rest on his shoulders.
“Honestly, in the past it’s been more necessary to have a Herculean effort,” Adams told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt after the win. He added that this Rams team does not require the same burden from one player — and that there is “a lot of beauty” in it.
McVay Will Keep Riding Rams’ Hot Hand
McVay wasn’t set on spreading the ball around for appearances once Adams found his rhythm.
Adams scored on a 31-yard reception late in the first quarter, then broke free for 64 yards on the Rams’ next possession. Matthew Stafford returned to him for an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter, even with New York attempting to disguise double coverage.
Adams said McVay is among the coaches most willing to return to “whoever has the hot hand.”
The approach helps explain why seven of Adams’ eight receptions gained at least 10 yards and four went for 20 or more.
“He’s wide receiver one to me,” McVay said afterward, per the team’s postgame coverage.
The production backed him up.
Adams supplied 195 of Stafford’s 327 passing yards as the quarterback completed 22 of 31 attempts and threw four touchdowns. Stafford said the Rams “leaned on him big time,” and Adams delivered in the absence of Puka Nacua, who sat out with a hip injury.
There’s a practical side to McVay’s aggression. A defense preoccupied with Adams leaves space elsewhere, and Stafford capitalized with touchdown passes to Kyren Williams and Terrance Ferguson.
The Rams can ride Adams without shrinking their offense around him.
Adams Gives Rams a Luxury And Lifeline
Adams’ night was also historical.
He pushed his career total to 119 receiving touchdowns, two behind Larry Fitzgerald. So, he’s now slotted in at No. 23 in career receiving yards with 12,854. His 29th game with multiple touchdown catches ranks fourth in NFL history.
Those numbers make McVay’s instinct understandable. Los Angeles signed Adams for evenings like this, when a coverage plan breaks down and Stafford sees an opening to press the advantage.
Yet the encouraging part may be what Adams said after producing nearly 200 yards. The Rams weren’t waiting for him to save them. Their defense held New York to 182 total yards, while Stafford also found two other players for scores. The offense rebounded after managing seven points in a season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Adams framed the NFL as a league determined by which team plays best on a given day. Super Bowls aren’t locked in due to a roster looking strong on paper.
That perspective fits a contender with several ways to win.
All things considered, the Rams don’t need a weekly superhuman act. But Adams still has some tricks up his sleeve when his team necessitates it.
Rams Don’t Need Davante Adams’ ‘Herculean Effort,’ But Sean McVay Feeds Him Anyway