Why Tre Mason Has Become the Main Man in St. Louis Rams Backfield

Victory was virtually assured for the Seattle Seahawks against the St. Louis Rams in Week 7. Sure, the former was licking wounds from an unexpected home loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but they were the returning champions, out for blood. 

The Rams had other plans.

Ambushing the Seahawks from the outset of last week's game, St. Louis won what turned out to be a late nail-biter by the score of 28-26. Running back Tre Mason played no small part in that victory, announcing his takeover of the St. Louis backfield in striking fashion. 

Deja vu struck all over again when Mason took the field on Sunday; it was just a week late. After all, it was 2013 rookie running back Zac Stacy who broke through the muddled mess that was the St. Louis backfield last season, getting his first significant action in Week 5 and running away with the starting job. 

Third-round pick Mason made his debut in Week 6, flashing his potential against the San Francisco 49ers while Stacy and Benny Cunningham retained much of their workload. Week 7 was all about Mason—with a little Cunningham sprinkled in—and he made the most of his opportunity.

"

Tre Mason gives Rams a while other dimension they didn't have before. A RB that can break it on any play that doesn't need special scheming

— NFL Philosophy (@NFLosophy) October 19, 2014"

Until that point, Mason wasn't even active most weeks. His pass protection was suspect, and the other two backs had been a more-than-serviceable tandem in the past. Practice makes perfect, though, and Mason's blocking improved enough to get him a real shot, per al.com's Mark Inabinett:

"

With St. Louis on its third quarterback of the season because of injuries, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Mason's playing status changed because he had improved his pass blocking.

"It's protection and the actual technique," Fisher said. "He's improved significantly at that. That's why he played."

Mason said he was just happy to get on the field after sitting for four games.

"I love playing football," Mason said, "so it's like being a dog on a leash and watching a bunch of other dogs play. So when I broke my leash, it was time to go play."

"

"

The light has come on for Tre Mason.

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) October 19, 2014"

If Fisher trusts Mason's pass protection enough to give him a start, why shouldn't the rookie's playing time be established on a more permanent basis?

Of course, playing time guarantees no success. Good thing Mason made the most of his touches against Seattle.

The rookie out of Auburn had success on Sunday because the Seahawks were outclassed defensively. You read that correctly—Seattle's defense wasn't very good.

Granted, missing key players like starting middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and cornerback Byron Maxwell didn't help, but the Seahawks let the Rams have their way on offense more often than not in the loss.

This is evident on Mason's first touchdown, a straightforward dive out of 11 personnel. 

NFL Game Rewind

Mason did do a nice job of hitting the hole once it opened, allowing him to beat Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas to the goal line. The rookie running back avoided Thomas' tackle attempt nicely, though Mason probably would have gotten in even if he'd gotten hit cleanly.

"

Wow. Tre Mason just did the hot knife through butter thing for his first NFL TD. Seattle's defense looks rough.

— SI_DougFarrar (@SI_DougFarrar) October 19, 2014"

Mason's very next carry had similar success for similar reasons.

NFL Game Rewind

The 28-yard gain came courtesy of some great blocking by his offensive line and poor pursuit by the Seahawks.

Mason nearly scored another touchdown late in the game.

Instead of a dive out of a three-receiver formation, however, Mason ran a stretch play at the 14-yard line out of 21 personnel. 

NFL Game Rewind

At first blush, it looks like the Seahawks had this well defended. The defense crashed the right side where Mason was headed. All it would take is a properly set edge and good pursuit to hold Mason to a minimal gain, right?

Well, that didn't quite happen.

This is one of those plays where the Seahawks sorely missed Wagner. Cornerback Marcus Burley was on the outside, and he did a decent job forcing the play back toward the rest of the defense. 

Mason did a nice job of setting up his block, and he burst through the opening fullback Cory Harkey provided. Seattle's pursuit was lackluster, allowing him to get near the goal line when he might have been stopped within five yards of the line of scrimmage otherwise.

The game's most controversial play—a fumble by Mason recovered by Harkey, or so it seemed—was otherwise an excellent run by the rookie.

NFL Game Rewind

St. Louis needed a first down to ice the game, and everyone knew what was coming. Once again, it was Burley on the outside trying to maintain the edge, only this time he was unblocked and in position to make the tackle.

Mason caught him flat-footed and burst through for a first down. He broke another tackle attempt by another Pro Bowl safety, Kam Chancellor, who slowed Mason down just enough to get caught from behind.

Unfortunately for him, Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith punched the ball out, luckily recovered by his teammate—or so the referees said.

Is Mason the new lead back in St. Louis? His workload seems to indicate so, though we don't know whether Fisher will see fit to limit him after Mason nearly fumbled the game away in its waning minutes.

More importantly, his talent is clearly superior to that of his compatriots. Mason not only looks more spry, but the statistics say he is. 

Mason is averaging 5.4 yards per carry—though on a smaller sample size—a sparkling average, especially when compared to those of his counterparts.

Player	Age	G	Att	Yds	TD	Long	Y/A	Tgt	Rec	Yds	TD
Stacy	23	6	61	240	1	16	3.9	16	12	115	0
Cunningham	24	6	36	136	2	14	3.8	18	16	121	1
Mason	21	2	23	125	1	28	5.4	1	1	12	0

Not only does he have a healthy rushing average, but Mason is among the leaders in yards after contact with 2.9, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The biggest flaw in Mason's game is highlighted in those statistics, however—he has just one reception through two games, even though he was on the field for over half the offensive snaps last week. That is likely because his pass protection, while improved, still needs plenty of work.

He wasn't a big pass-catcher in college, though, having caught just 19 passes in three years at Auburn. Perhaps his pass-catching prowess has yet to be unleashed.

Unfortunately for hopeful fantasy owners, Mason's reign may be short-lived, according to CBS Sports' Larry Hartstein. Here is what Fisher had to say about the backfield situation this week:

"

It'll be a week-to-week thing. Zac could get 25 carries this week. We had some things in early this week. It was working so we decided to stay with ‘Mase.' It's nothing that Zac has done or hasn't done. He's been a little banged up the last couple of weeks, but obviously he's an outstanding runner as well. We clearly have significant depth there at the position.

"

Perhaps the head coach was trying to keep the rookie humble, because it's clear who should be the lead back in St. Louis, and it's not a guy averaging 3.9 yards per carry.

Mason may have to contend with the whimsy of his head coach, but he won't be contained for long if he continues to deliver like he did against the Seahawks.

Follow @AlexMiglio