The Rams keep treating special teams like a problem they can patch on the fly, and the results keep telling the same story. Los Angeles is averaging a new placekicker every two games, a number that says less about any one player and more about how unsettled the whole operation has become.
At eight games, the Rams have finally worked their way back to .500. But they’ve done it without anything close to average play on special teams, and that phase has become a constant source of self-inflicted damage. The team has kept trying to fix it by shuffling personnel, but the quick fixes haven’t produced much of anything.
That matters because the Rams have not had much room to waste. They’ve beaten only two teams this season, the Giants and Raiders, and even during their two-game winning streak they’ve still found ways to make life harder on themselves.
Sean McVay made that plain after the Week 6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals:
"We won’t win a game unless we figure out how to not beat ourselves. Just so many unforced errors.
There are just so many things that are not in alignment with what we want to do, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. Giving up a big return to start.
Lose the kicker [Blake Grupe]. Covering on that kickoff that comes out for a big gain.
We didn’t do enough.
I thought our defense did enough to keep us in the game."
McVay’s comments landed as a broad critique, but they also pointed directly at the special-teams mess. He was backing Chris Shula’s defense, which leaves special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone as the coach under the brightest spotlight. The Rams’ constant roster churn only adds to that pressure.
With no more margin for error, the Rams are in a spot where even a strong finish may not be enough for a division title. More likely, they’ll need to scrap for a wild-card berth. That reality puts Ventrone squarely in the hot seat, and until his unit starts turning things around, the questions around his future aren’t going away.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert Drama Just Gave Rams Fans Even More To Talk About
Quentin Lakes postgame criticism of Justin Herbert added another layer to a crosstown matchup that already carried plenty of edge for Rams fans. After the Chargers loss to the Rams, Lake took aim at Herbert following an interception, then later apologized to the quarterback, turning a sharp on-field moment into a bigger conversation about how the game was being viewed from both sidelines.
Herbert and Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh both answered back, with Harbaugh defending his quarterbacks performance and pushing back on the criticism. Even with Herberts uneven season drawing scrutiny, the larger picture in Los Angeles remains unchanged for now, since reports say the Chargers have no intention of trading him. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Injury Report Just Put Matthew Stafford Under A Bigger Spotlight
Sean McVay spent part of his latest availability putting some guardrails around the concern that flared up after Matthew Stafford was seen with ice on his throwing arm following the game. The Rams officially listed Stafford with an elbow injury, but McVay framed it as routine maintenance rather than a setback, noting that the quarterback has been a full participant in practice and has not missed any reps.
For a team that leans so heavily on Staffords arm and command, any injury note naturally draws attention, especially when it lands on the same part of the body that matters most to his game. McVay said Staffords performance has not been affected, which is the part the Rams care about most, even if the injury report keeps the conversation alive for now. [Read more 🡒]
Myles Garrett Puts Rams Defensive Momentum To The Test Sunday
The Rams have spent much of the season trying to build on defensive momentum, and Sunday offers another good measuring stick for how real it is. One of the weeks more intriguing individual battles has Los Angeles edge rusher Myles Garrett lined up against Washington tackle Brandon Coleman, a matchup that could shape how often the Commanders can stay on schedule and how much pressure the Rams can generate without having to overcommit elsewhere.
Garrett has been the kind of force offenses have to account for snap after snap, and the Rams will be watching closely to see whether that edge presence translates into the kind of disruption that changes a game plan. With Washington dealing with the challenge of protecting Coleman against one of the leagues most disruptive defenders, this is the sort of test that can either reinforce what Los Angeles has been building or expose how much work still remains. [Read more 🡒]