The kicking game has been a real sore spot for the Los Angeles Rams this season, and it looks like head coach Sean McVay has finally seen enough.

Ahead of their matchup with the 49ers, the Rams announced that Harrison Mevis will handle kicking duties, while Joshua Karty remains on the 53-man roster for now. When McVay spoke about the decision, he made sure to strike a balanced tone by letting the player know that he still trusts Karty.

“There are a lot of layers to it. I still do have a lot of confidence in Joshua Karty,” he said. “He’s not going anywhere. But based on some things we tried to evaluate throughout the course of the week, those guys both did a really good job. I was really pleased, impressed, and proud of how Joshua handled himself this week. I think he’s got a really bright future.”

“But all the things that went into it in terms of just ultimately in its simplest form, who do I think gives us the best chance to have successful outcomes, particularly in that operation with the given factors on Sunday against the Niners.”

The message is clear, as Karty would be resting this week. However, that kind of support from the HC matters because Karty’s season has been rough. About as rough as it gets for a kicker in the NFL. He’s missed eight total kicks, the most in the league: five field goals and three extra points, with a few of those attempts getting blocked.

Dig a little deeper into those numbers, and it doesn’t get any prettier. His 66.7% field goal rate is the lowest among qualified kickers, and his 88.5% on extra points ranks second-worst. For a team trying to stay in the playoff picture, that’s a problem they can’t afford to ignore.

The two misses in the loss to the Saints could’ve turned out much worse. A pulled PAT way left, and a 39-yarder that never had a chance. Those weren’t isolated moments either. Missed kicks helped tilt close games against the Eagles and 49ers earlier this year. Eventually, something had to give, and now Sean McVay laid out three possible outcomes.

“There are really three possible scenarios. We’ll sit down on Monday, and we’ll say, ‘We’re going to continue to go with Mevis,’ and he will work and continue to get better on his own. We’ll go back to (Karty), or we’ll continuously have this competition,” the head coach said.

For now, though, the Rams are handing the job to Harrison Mevis, someone who was without a team a few days ago.

Harrison Mevis gears up for his NFL debut

Just a week ago, Harrison Mevis was on a practice field by himself, kicking balls into the wind and waiting for the phone to ring. This week, it finally did. The Rams brought him in, along with veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide, for a look, as Sean McVay opened up competition at one of the team’s most unsettled positions.

Mevis kicked on Wednesday and Thursday in a head-to-head session with Joshua Karty, and by week’s end, Mevis had earned his shot. And it’s not too surprising.

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He hit 89 of 106 field goals at Missouri and owns a piece of SEC history with a 61-yarder, the longest in conference history. He made a living on deep kicks, setting school marks with 12 field goals from 50-plus yards, and carried that accuracy into the UFL, where he went 20-for-21 last season. He’ll finally have his NFL regular-season debut, something he’s been manifesting over the years.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve thought about it. It’s been every single week after getting cut from the Jets. I don’t know when my time is going to come, but I’m going to be ready. So I stayed ready. Every week, I was planning to play,” Mevis said.

He’ll make his debut alongside another face, McQuaide, who was the Rams’ long snapper from 2011 to 2020. The veteran is taking over long-snapping duties from Alex Ward. Together with punter and holder Ethan Evans, the Rams hope this new combination can finally settle down what’s been one of their biggest issues all year.