St. Louis Rams: Going With The Hot Hand

The Rams may have a different approach this season with their running game. From the sounds of it, Les Snead believes the team will go with the hot hand approach. According to ESPN Zac Stacy may not be the bell cow he was a year ago:

"While the Rams continue to list running back Zac Stacy as the starter -- and he probably will be against the Vikings in Week 1 -- general manager Les Snead said on local radio this week that he expects the offense to go with the "hot hand" in a given week at running back. Benny Cunningham started in Stacy's place in the third preseason game against Cleveland and both backs should get opportunities against Minnesota."

Benny Cunningham has been nothing short of impressive all summer. In fact he was the most impressive back for the Rams during the preseason. Much like last preseason (6.2 YPC), Cunningham proved to be the most explosive back on the Rams roster. His 5.3 yards per carry led the Rams, while last season his 5.6YPC lead the NFL (backs with at least 45 carries).

Cunningham has stated on numerous occasions this off-season that he finally feels like his old self. He packed on a few extra pounds of muscle, without losing a step. He actually did the exact opposite and looked quicker and faster, according to himself and teammates. Prior to a gruesome knee injury his senior season at Middle Tennessee State, Cunningham was rumored to be running the 40 in 4.39 sec. Considering his already impressive vision, burst, and power that he has displayed, if he is indeed back to his old self, this can be nothing but good news for Rams fans.

Zac Stacy fan or not, this is an excellent problem to have. Suddenly the Rams - who many thought would take years to replace the production of a departed Steven Jackson - has depth and youth. The future of the Rams running back situation continues to look very bright.