The Los Angeles Rams are enjoying strong offensive momentum this season, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has delivered back-to-back standout performances. Stafford’s precision, decision-making, and control over Sean McVay’s system have been at their best all season, a fact McVay was quick to highlight following the Rams’ win over the New Orleans Saints.
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“Offensively, Matthew is in total control,” McVay said postgame, emphasizing how his veteran quarterback has elevated the offense’s efficiency and rhythm.
But as sharp as Stafford and the Rams’ offense have been, the special teams unit continues to trend in the opposite direction. Somehow, the Rams’ kicking operation managed to get worse during the bye week, and their first-half meltdown against the Saints was one of the ugliest displays of kicking the NFL has seen this year.
Joshua Karty, the Rams’ second-year kicker, was at the center of it. After the team’s second touchdown, Karty missed an extra point by nearly 20 yards to the left, the ball sailing wide and even missing the net behind the uprights. That made the score 13–3 instead of 14–3, a small difference against a one-win Saints team, but a massive red flag for a playoff contender.
Replays showed that the laces on the hold were facing toward Karty, a basic but critical mistake that likely contributed to the miss. Later in the second quarter, Karty lined up for a 39-yard field goal that could’ve made it 23–3, but a Saints defender came crashing through the right side of the line, forcing Karty to adjust mid-kick. The result? Another shank. Wide right, again missing the net by nearly 20 yards.
Even as McVay celebrated Stafford’s mastery of the offense, he didn’t shy away from addressing the team’s glaring weakness: special teams and Karty’s failed kicking.
“I know you guys are going to ask me,” McVay began. “It’s gotta get better. We’re going to figure out how to be able to fix this, but it can’t continue like this when it comes to the kicking operation. Not going to get into blaming anyone specifically. Ultimately, it’s my responsibility. It’s gone on for too long and we’ve got to be able to fix it.”
“That was obviously not ideal,” he added. “We’ve leaned into it and there’s some instances where it’s not getting better, so we’ve got to be able to figure it out.”
With eight total misses this season, five field goals and three PATs, Karty leads the NFL in failed kicks. The kicking woes have haunted them all season, including two blocked kicks in a Week 5 loss to the Eagles that cost them a potential victory. While the team has rebounded since then, McVay’s patience appears to be running thin.
While Stafford’s resurgence has the Rams’ offense trending upward, the kicking unit’s instability remains a serious liability. Does McVay’s public acknowledgment of the issue, and his sharper tone, suggest that changes could be imminent, whether that means adjusting the holder, the long snapper, or even parting ways with Karty altogether?
