The Los Angeles Rams may be sitting atop the NFC West in a three-way tie at 4-2, but their kicking game has been anything but steady through six weeks. After another shaky outing from Joshua Karty in Sunday’s 17-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Sean McVay made clear he’s standing by his young kicker — at least for now.
McVay Staying the Course with Karty
According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, McVay said Monday that he’s “not giving up” on the Rams’ special teams unit despite its inconsistencies. “Josh Karty is a guy that I’m ready to stick with,” McVay said. The comment came a day after Karty missed a 26-yard field goal attempt that clanged off the right upright — one of the more painful “doinks” of the season — before sneaking in a 36-yarder later in the game.
McVay, addressing the kicking woes postgame, said protection wasn’t the issue. “I thought the protection was good; we gotta make the kick,” he said. “We ended up missing the kick and ended up hitting the second one not very clean, right there. The snap felt like it was a little bit high.”
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Karty’s struggles have not gone unnoticed. The second-year kicker has now missed three of his 12 field-goal attempts and two extra points on the year. His miscues have directly contributed to both of the Rams’ losses — one against the 49ers in Week 5 and another earlier in the year against the Eagles, where a blocked attempt proved costly.
Still, McVay appears reluctant to make a change ahead of the team’s trip to London for a Week 7 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Rams rotated kickers throughout 2023 with mixed results, and stability at the position remains elusive.
Searching for Consistency
The Rams’ special teams issues have been a recurring subplot despite the team’s overall success. For now, McVay is betting that patience will pay off.
“We’ll get it corrected,” he said, emphasizing confidence in Karty’s talent and the group’s protection. Whether that faith holds through another missed kick remains to be seen — but for now, the Rams’ head coach is standing firm.
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