One player on the Los Angeles Rams’ offense is giving the team more than they bargained for from the receiver position in 2022. A seventh-round pick in last year’s draft class, Ben Skowronek has exceeded every expectation this season, serving as a part-time fullback when his team needs him most.
Offensive coordinator Liam Coen commented on Skowronek’s unique contributions on Friday after practice. He told reporters that the receiver’s duel-threat ability puts defenses in a bind, especially with the talent the team has assembled on offense.
“It’s great,” Coen explained, “he’s got the mentality. He’s got that mindset and mentality. (I) saw it show up on special teams last year. When we brought this up to him, he was so geared up, he was so jacked up to be able to do some of the things that we’re asking him to do. Then you saw him be able to come alive in the pass game as well. So you create a conflict. You create a different, another gap in the run game. Which way is it going when you do get them into the “I-formation”, you do create some conflict which way the lead of the run is going.
“You can create some split flow. It just creates some different looks for the defense, especially when you’re in your normal 11 personnel grouping. Then we’ve been able to activate him in the pass game. You saw him lead up on (RB) (Akers) touchdown last week on the linebacker there and buckled him pretty good and continued on into the end zone. So he’s playing physical, he is playing fast, and he is giving us a big-time contribution.”
Whether he is slated to play a key role in Los Angeles’ matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday is unclear, though all signs point to an increase in usage in the coming weeks. His talents have taken the Rams’ fanbase by storm and could get their primetime debut in the league’s final game of the Week 4 schedule.
