Special teams mistakes cost Chase Blackburn his job last season. And this season, Rams kicker Harrison Mevis missed two field goals, including a blocked potential game-winner during the 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills. However, head coach Sean McVay is willing to give special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone to give him enough rope, for now.
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“Sean McVay, unprompted, in part of his response to a question about the state of special teams at this point: ‘I have a lot of confidence in (special teams coordinator) Bubba Ventrone. There are no changes that are going to be made there. And we’re going to keep working.'” Rams insider Stu Jackson posted on X.
The Rams have made a change at kicker, and head coach Sean McVay confirmed it Tuesday. Los Angeles is waiving Harrison Mevis and signing Blake Grupe (from the New York Jets’ practice roster) in his place.
During the Bills game, Mevis first missed from 50 yards in the opening quarter. Then in overtime, his 48-yard attempt, which would have won the game, got blocked. Mevis didn’t seem sure what went wrong.
“I felt like I hit it good,” Mevis said. “That’s all I can tell you. I mean, I hit it good, gave it a chance. I’ll have to look.”
The play before that kick matters too. The Rams faced a third-and-5 from the Buffalo 30, and Kyren Williams was stopped for no gain. McVay took some of the blame afterward.
“I’m sick that we came up short, and I’ll be regretting kicking that and not having a better call to be able to go for it on third down and go to fourth or whatever it was,” McVay said. “And that’s on me.”
He also said what everyone watching was thinking.
“And in the kicking game, especially, you know, with our PAT/field goal (unit), not even close to good enough. It cost us the game tonight,” McVay said.
The numbers back him up. According to ESPN Research, the Rams have had three blocked field goal attempts since the start of last season, tied for the most in the NFL, per ESPN research. Under McVay, they have 81 missed or blocked kicks since 2017, including playoffs, which ranks third most in the league.
Mevis struggled badly this year. His 55.6 percent success rate on field goals was the worst in the league after five games. He has attempted nine field goals, of which only five were successful. Last year was a different picture entirely, succeeding in 12 of his 13 field goal attempts during the regular season.
He hit a 42-yard field goal in overtime to defeat the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Round. In the postseason, Mevis was successful in all of his field goal attempts.
Unfortunately, Year 2 had not been off to a good start for him.
With a new kicker on the team, McVay is hoping for the change to start at the players’ end, before perhaps he is forced to think about the coaches.