After the game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams’ scoreboard read 26-23. Losing the overtime game by 3 points, the Rams are at 3-2 for the season. However, what followed the loss was taking accountability. The Rams pointed fingers, but only at themselves individually. Running back Kyren Williams blamed himself for fumbling at the one-yard line. And Head Coach Sean McVay blamed himself for his last-minute decision. But the folks who saw the game might put the blame somewhere else.

On fourth-and-1 at the 49ers’ 11-yard line with 3:41 remaining in overtime, it was McVay who decided to go with the run game rather than a field goal. What happened next was obvious. The 49ers were ready for the run and stopped it without any gain. After the game, McVay took the blame for his decision. “Bad call. Bad call by me. It was a poor decision by me right there.” McVay said. But McVay isn’t a coach who will shoot himself in the foot on purpose, especially at crucial moments. There is a reason why he didn’t go with a field goal: it’s the Rams’ kicking issue. 

The Rams have been struggling with their placekicking throughout the season, and it was evident in the game against the 49ers as well. Placekicker Joshua Karty failed a 53-yard field goal wide right. He then missed an extra point attempt that would have given the team a late one-point lead. Both of these missed attempts ended up proving to be costly mistakes at the end of the game. Although the game went into overtime because of Karty’s 48-yard field goal, if he hadn’t missed those two attempts, there would have been no need for the Rams to go for extra time. 

The Rams appeared poised to take a 21-20 lead in the third quarter after Kyren Williams caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. However, Joshua Karty’s extra point attempt was blocked by the 49ers, keeping the score tied at 20-20 with 10:39 remaining in the game.

The blocked kick represents the third time since Week 3 that Karty has had an attempt blocked, exposing a serious protection breakdown for Los Angeles’ field goal unit. Most concerning is that all three blocks have occurred in the fourth quarter, when games are typically decided.

The first play of overtime exposed another critical special teams failure for Los Angeles. Karty, who had successfully executed his knuckleball kickoff strategy throughout regulation, made a devastating mistake when his overtime kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, resulting in a penalty that spotted San Francisco the ball at their own 40-yard line.

The penalty gave the 49ers excellent field position, requiring minimal yardage to reach field goal range. Backup quarterback Mac Jones efficiently moved San Francisco 37 yards downfield, setting up Eddy Pineiro’s 41-yard field goal that provided the game-winning points.

Karty has played all five games for the Rams and is 9-for-12 on field-goal attempts. His field goal percentage is also below par-75%. But it’s not just field goal kicking that is stopping McVay from trusting the special team; it’s the entire unit. The special team has failed to protect Karty, as there have been three blocked kicks for the Rams in just 5 weeks. All of these look similar to what the Rams faced back in 2023. 

In 2023, the Rams were plagued by one of the league’s worst special teams units, missing an NFL-high 11 field goals and five extra points while also suffering through poor punting and a blocked kick. Their overall field goal percentage sat at just 74.4%, and the struggles were magnified following the departure of reliable kicker Matt Gay.

The outlook shifted in 2024 with the drafting of Joshua Karty, whose steady rookie campaign brought much-needed stability. Karty hit 29 of 34 field goals and 32 of 36 extra points, tallying 119 points in 17 games and giving Los Angeles confidence that its special teams issues were finally under control. It looks like the ghosts of 2023 are back to haunt the special teams unit. And McVay is also not having a great day at the office.

McVay’s final play call

Rams coach Sean McVay took responsibility for Thursday night’s loss to the 49ers, specifically pointing to his late-game decision. With 3:41 left in overtime and facing fourth-and-1 at San Francisco’s 11-yard line, McVay dialed up a run up the middle. The 49ers read it perfectly and stuffed the play for no gain, sealing the Rams’ defeat.

The head coach admitted after the game that he never even considered sending out the field goal unit to tie. “No. In hindsight, I wish I would have, but we came in here to try to win the football game,” McVay said. “That wasn’t even a thought, but the play selection was very poor. I’m sick right now because I put our players in a sh–ty spot.” It was a candid admission from the Rams’ coach, who shouldered the blame for the failed call.

The coach acknowledged there were better options available and admitted he was frustrated with himself for the decision. “My job is to try to put our players in successful situations,” McVay said. “That wasn’t it right there.”

Though McVay has shouldered the blame for the loss, it was ultimately a collective defeat. If the Rams hope to pull off wins against the tough contenders ahead on their 2025 schedule, the special teams unit must play a bigger role. In critical moments or when trying to establish an early lead, McVay has to ensure that his special teams execute consistently and deliver when it matters most.