CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum took an inside handoff in the fourth quarter, slipped past a defensive tackle, angled right and went around the edge of a Jordan Whittington block that sent a defensive back flying onto the turf. Then he hit the sideline, applied the turbo boost and raced out of bounds into Carolina Panthers territory.

A 34-yard sprint set up a potential Rams comeback that wasn’t meant to be in a 31-28 loss to the Panthers, but it contained all the hope Los Angeles had when it drafted him in the third round last year. This looked like the first-team All-American version of Corum from his Michigan days, turning power runs up the middle into sprints along the sideline and cashing vicious downfield blocks into explosive gains.

“What a great job of him recognizing everybody’s getting connected,” coach Sean McVay said. “Then he winds that thing back, and you see Jordan Whittington, as a motion player, get a knockdown block and how excited he gets. I thought Blake ran hard and physical.”

Corum’s run was the highlight of his best performance yet in the NFL. His 81 yards were 23 more than he’s had in any game. He needed just seven rushes to do it, averaging 11.6 yards per carry with three explosive gains.

Only one of those runs went for fewer than 6 yards, and it was arguably just as impressive as that 34-yard scamper. From the 2-yard line, Corum took an inside handoff against a goal-line front, met a defensive tackle in his chest and shoved him to the ground before powering in for the score.

“Everything,” Corum said of what worked. “From duo to outside zone, we were going back and forth depending on if they were in 6-tech or 9-tech (on the defensive line). It was a great job by the O-line, the tight ends and everyone just working as one.”

Blake Corum punches it in for 6!

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— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 30, 2025

All that success came on just 17 snaps, which invites the question: Is it time to get Corum more involved in the offense? And is it as simple as just giving him more carries and snaps?

The reason it’s a question is the same reason he’s been a clear No. 2 option behind Kyren Williams. As a second-year player, Corum is still learning the nuances of the pro game.

Part of that has come in the running game, where the hashmarks are moved in, opponents have more speed and bouncing runs to the outside don’t have the same payoff. This season, Corum has 422 yards and two touchdowns, but the production has come in bunches.

In games against the Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans, he has seen at least five carries and averaged at least 4.3 yards per rush. But he’s had a couple of games where the efficiency has disappeared, such as his 10 yards on eight carries against the Seattle Seahawks and his 21 yards on nine carries against the Indianapolis Colts.

Sunday’s patience on the 34-yard bounce shows how he can eventually find a fit and what the explosive payoff can be. The overall growth is in the numbers: Corum has seen his workload increase from 3.4 carries a game to 7.4 this year, all while his yards per rush have gone from 3.6 to 4.7.

It has made him a strong counterpunch to Williams, who is more of a consistent between-the-tackles runner and less of the breakaway threat. The Rams have aimed for a 65-35 split between the two this season, but usage can fluctuate greatly week to week, depending on whether Corum is hitting those creases.

The bigger challenge comes on third downs, where pass protection is critical for any offense but especially this one. At age 37, Matthew Stafford isn’t escaping many blitzes that aren’t properly picked up, and the risk is significant with a quarterback managing a degenerative back issue. It’s a key reason Williams has outsnapped Corum 71 percent to 27 percent on the season, as Williams is regarded as one of the best backs in the league in this regard.

A way to mitigate it is to use the running back as a checkdown in the receiving game, which is helpful to a quarterback like Stafford who so often knows where to go with the ball. That’s been another step in Corum’s development after arriving from such a run-focused offense at Michigan. This season, Corum has seen 10 targets and caught five of them for 10 yards, compared to Williams’ 24 catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns.

But Corum’s play in the open field and along the sideline suggests there’s some upside to unpack if he can get a better connection going with Stafford on those checkdowns. To build his confidence and limit the mental side as he develops, the Rams could look to run more screen passes with Corum.

With Williams’ versatility as a runner, receiver and pass protector, the Rams can blur whether they are running or passing on a given play. That advantage is enhanced when Williams starts a series with an effective run, putting the Rams in good down-and-distance situations. It’s a focal point of an offense engineered by McVay, Stafford and their ability to make audibles pre-snap — and it’s a key reason Los Angeles made Williams a captain last season and extended him for three years and $33 million this past summer.

Los Angeles drafted Corum with a Day 2 pick to be a complement in an offense that strives for balance. As high-volume as Williams has been after back-to-back seasons with at least 1,100 rushing yards, the physical nature of the running back spot and the Rams’ goals to play into the postseason demanded another option.

It’s also why they drafted a speed back, Jarquez Hunter, in the fourth round this year, though they have only made him active for five games since the third running back spot is often reserved for a prominent special teams role.

To balance the snap count between Williams and Corum more evenly, the Rams will need that growth out of Corum in his passing game skills.

“When you’re conscientious and you’re wired like he is,” McVay said, “you’re going to get better.”

Perhaps a solution to get Corum more involved is to lean on the run game more as a whole. With Williams and Corum both averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and with an offensive line surging, it’s become more than just a complement to Stafford’s push for his first MVP award. But Sunday, the Rams chose to pass 28 times versus 21 runs, despite the run game averaging nearly as many yards per play (7.2) as the passing game did (8.1). And the passing game was also responsible for all three turnovers.

That’s not to suggest the passing attack isn’t often excellent, as it leads the league in touchdown passes and is second in quarterback rating. But the run game can offer a slower pace that allows the defense to rest and get the pass rush going, which didn’t happen Sunday when the Panthers held the ball for all but three plays in the third quarter. On the season, the Rams rank 22nd among 32 teams, with 29:05 of time of possession per game.

The run game can also be a more stable option in inclement weather, like the Rams faced in the wind and rain in Carolina. That could become a reality if they aren’t able to secure the NFC’s top seed, as teams such as the Chicago Bears, Seahawks and Eagles are also fighting for it. But it is worth noting that last year’s divisional-round trip to Philadelphia in the snow resulted in two fumbles by Williams. So ball security can be its own battle.

Like many conversations with this year’s Rams offense, this one is about how to spread one ball around to so many talented options. Corum is earning the right to be in that conversation.

“You just bet on people like this,” McVay said. “Their mental toughness, their resolve, their ability to put the work in and earn that confidence and have that consistent growth that’s reflected by the way that they attack their craft with the deliberate practice. … I think Blake is just continuing to ascend.”