The Rams’ special teams issues go well beyond the return game, and coordinator Bubba Ventrone is treating it like a problem that needs fixing fast.
The most immediate change is at punt returner, where Xavier Smith is out of the picture. He is no longer on the Rams roster, and no one expects Los Angeles to bring him back on the practice squad.
That leaves the job to the next man up, with Alex Bachman signed off the practice squad to handle return duties. It’s not exactly a move that quiets concern after the unit’s shaky showing against the Denver Broncos, a performance that helped fuel the Week 3 loss and handed frustrated fans another reason to pile on.
Ventrone’s message is hard to miss. By moving on from Smith ahead of a crucial Week 4 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, he has made it clear that the standard is nonnegotiable: produce, or someone else will get the chance.
But the return game is only one piece of the puzzle. There are problems elsewhere on the special teams unit, and Ventrone knows it.
Punter Ethan Evans has to be better, too. When he entered the league in 2023, he came in with a booming leg and averaged 9.2 yards per punt.
The issue was that his low, fast kicks could sail beyond the coverage, which is part of why his net average sat at 38.4 yards as a rookie. His gross average has dipped since then, even if his net numbers have improved a bit.
Still, Ventrone’s public tone toward Evans was direct.
"We need to get more consistency from the punter," Ventrone said. "Ethan can do a better job being able to elevate the ball and match hang times and distance at a greater rate. We have to do a better job in his position".
The other spot under the microscope is placekicker Harrison Mevis. Sean McVay does not seem especially comfortable leaning on him from distance, even though Mevis has made all seven of his extra points and four of five field goals. He has not been asked to try a kick from 50 yards or longer, and McVay has often chosen to go for it on fourth-and-five or shorter when the ball is outside the 35-yard line.
Mevis did miss his first field goal attempt of the season, though the Rams still beat the New York Giants in Week 2. He was perfect in the Week 3 loss, but that came without any long-range opportunities. Through three games, he has attempted only five field goals, a modest total that stands out when 19 teams have already made more than four.
That kind of usage leaves the Rams in a tricky spot. If they need a field goal to swing a game, they have to know whether Mevis is the one who will be asked to deliver it.
In Other News...
Rams Enter Eagles Test With A Sudden Special Teams Problem
The Rams head into their Week 4 matchup with the Eagles carrying the usual injury baggage, but the special teams picture changed in a hurry this week. Los Angeles put tight end Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve, waived punt returner Xavier Smith and promoted running back Dean Connors to the active roster, a set of moves that puts extra attention on how the Rams handle the kicking game going into a matchup that already has plenty of personnel questions on both sides.
Philadelphia is dealing with its own absences, including DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, but the Rams immediate concern is more basic: who handles returns and how cleanly the operation holds together. Those decisions tend to matter most when the games get tight, and with another short-week style test looming against a banged-up opponent, Los Angeles suddenly has one more area to sort out before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Watched A Massive Eagles Threat Suddenly Leave The Game
Saquon Barkleys afternoon against the Rams changed in an instant in Week 4, when the Eagles star suffered a right hamstring injury on a non-contact run and headed to the sideline. Barkley was listed as questionable to return after leaving the field favoring his leg, and Philadelphia had to quickly reshuffle its backfield with Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley stepping in.
For the Rams, the timing mattered as much as the injury itself. Barkley is the kind of player who can force an offense to stay on schedule and stress a defense every snap, so his exit immediately altered how the Eagles had to approach the rest of the game. Any setback involving a threat of that caliber is the sort of development a defense notices right away, even before the full impact becomes clear. [Read more 🡒]
Puka Nacuas Return Still Leaves Rams With One Big Concern
Puka Nacua was back on the field for the Rams in Week 4 against the Eagles after sitting out two games because of a pre-hernia injury that involved hip and groin soreness, a reminder of how careful Los Angeles has been trying to be with one of its most important receivers. Sean McVay has already clarified that Nacua does not have a full hernia, and the teams approach has been to manage the issue rather than push it.
Nacuas return mattered because he had already led the Rams in receptions and receiving yards in Week 1, and he still found a way to contribute against Philadelphia. The bigger concern now is less about whether he can play through it in the short term and more about how the Rams balance his value on the field with the risk of the injury lingering over the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]