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A crowded backfield in St. Louis eventually sorted itself out in 2014, as Mason emerged as the go-to player down the stretch, leading the team with 765 yards in 12 games played. "He has good vision and patience, good feet quickness and burst through the hole, good contact balance and will earn extra yards because of his toughness and keeping his feet moving until he is taken to the ground," said one NFL personnel man of Mason.
Heading into the 2014 season there was much talk of a running-back-by-committee approach to the Rams’ rushing attack that was set to feature a heavy dose of Mason and then-sophomore Zac Stacy. As the offseason progressed, rumors swirled that Mason may even be able to snag the starting role from Stacy, who had an impressive rookie campaign [in 2013] of his own.
And that’s ultimately what occurred. It wasn’t until mid-October that Mason took the reigns, but he’d go on to lead the team in carries [179. Stacy - 76], yards [765. Stacy - 293], and touchdowns [4. Stacy - 1]. Mason played in only 12 games in his rookie season, so it’s fair to assume he could’ve eclipsed the 1,000-yard threshold had he started the year as the team’s go-to back.