Los Angeles Rams fans have already seen enough to get restless about special teams, but the early returns still don’t justify a full-blown panic. The unit has been messy, sure.
Coverage has wobbled. Ethan Evans’ punts haven’t exactly inspired confidence.
Harrison Mevis, meanwhile, has missed his only field goal try.
That kind of start is never going to calm anybody down, and the numbers only feed the frustration. Through two games, the Rams sit dead last in kick return average, 20th in punt return, dead last in field goals made, 14th in extra points made, tied for 17th in gross punting yards, and 21st in net punting yards.
Still, there’s a difference between ugly and broken, and this group has at least avoided some of the disasters that defined last season. The Rams were more than just bad on special teams a year ago.
They were broken. Field goals were getting blocked, assignments were missed, and basic plays like fielding punts and kickoffs were turning into weekly adventures.
So far, those kinds of breakdowns haven’t shown up.
One reason the picture looks so uneven is the personnel shuffle. Jordan Whittington has been injured, which has pushed punt returner Xavier Smith into kickoff duty.
He’s had just one game to settle into that role. Mevis, too, has only gotten one field-goal chance, a 43-yarder at the end of the first half against the Giants.
He missed it, but the Rams still won comfortably.
That’s the bigger point here: early disappointments tend to jump off the page, while fixes usually arrive more quietly. Los Angeles has only played two games, and there isn’t much week-to-week continuity yet. The coaches will keep working through the problems, and they’ll get back to special teams if the issues linger.
For now, though, the sample is too small to start handing out blame. If this keeps going, it becomes a real concern. At the moment, it’s just a rough beginning.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Need Josaiah Stewart For More Than Just Depth
When the Rams traded Jared Verse to land Myles Garrett, the plan was clear enough: Garrett would anchor the edge and give the defense a fearsome new front. Instead, Garrett was injured early in the 2026 season and ended up on injured reserve, forcing Los Angeles to lean on a much less expected source for stability. Josaiah Stewart has answered the call in Garretts place, and his work has given the Rams something they badly needed while the defense adjusts on the fly.
Stewart has not just filled snaps, he has looked like a player the Rams can trust in a larger role. His production has stood out even in limited work, and the bigger question now is how much more the coaching staff can ask of him as the season moves along. What started as a depth situation has turned into a real opportunity, and the Rams may come out of it with a useful long-term piece at a position where they can never have too many answers. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald Just Sent Rams Fans A Very Dangerous Reminder
Aaron Donalds first game back after a two-year retirement looked a lot like the old version of him the Rams spent so long trying to block out of their memory. In 32 snaps, he finished with three tackles, a tackle for loss and a pressure, and the underlying numbers only sharpened the picture of a player who can still disrupt a game almost immediately.
Next Gen Stats and Sumer Sports data backed up the eye test, too, with Donald posting the best pass-rush win rate among defensive tackles this season and a 0.75-second get-off time that ranked third-fastest at the position. For a Rams defense that already knows what he means when he is rolling, the reminder was simple and a little unsettling for the rest of the league: Donald looks like he is coming back strong. [Read more 🡒]
Sean McVays Latest Puka Nacua Update Leaves Rams In A Tough Spot
The Rams handled the Giants 28-6 in Week 2 without Puka Nacua, but the bigger concern out of the win is still the receivers hip injury. Sean McVay said Nacua is not making great progress in his recovery, leaving his status for Week 3 up in the air and forcing the team to keep planning with uncertainty at a position group that has already been asked to adjust.
Los Angeles has shown it can survive a short absence, and the staff has confidence the wideout room can keep producing no matter what happens next. Even so, Nacuas importance to the offense is obvious, and the Rams would rather not spend another week waiting on an update that offers more concern than clarity. [Read more 🡒]