ClutchPoints
A comfortable 34-10 win still came with a jolt for Los Angeles, as Puka Nacua left early with a chest injury. The team listed him as questionable to return, and with the game in hand, he stayed out. Before exiting, the star wideout stacked seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, continuing a season that has him over 700 yards and trending like a true WR1.
Inside the building, the postgame conversation quickly turned to a different problem. Head coach Sean McVay lit into the Rams’ kicking operation, acknowledging in his opening statement that it “has to get better” and that the current state “can’t continue,” placing the responsibility on himself to fix it, per NBC Sports.
He declined to single out any one person, stressing that protection, snap, hold, and timing all factor into the repeated breakdowns.
That context matters because the issues have been year-long. Multiple kicks have been blocked, the snap to hold rhythm has wobbled, and the misses have become momentum killers.
McVay noted the special teams miscues have already “cost” the Rams games and could cap the ceiling of a 6-2 team. Even so, he maintained confidence in kicker Joshua Karty, saying there are “a lot of layers” to the problem and that the public narrative unfairly shifts to the kicker.
For the season, Karty is 10 of 15 on field goals and 23 of 26 on extra points, numbers that underline the urgency to clean up the operation around him. The staff on task includes coordinator Chase Blackburn and assistant Ben Kotwica, both experienced voices tasked with stabilizing the third phase.
Roster tweaks remain on the table. Asked about the approaching trade deadline, McVay offered a cryptic, measured answer, saying it “hasn’t been something we’ve really talked about,” while adding he would “never rule that out,” per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. Depth at tackle, pass catcher, or on the back end could be monitored if the right fit appears.
For now, job one is health for Nacua and harmony for the specialists. If Los Angeles tightens the protection, sharpens the snap and hold, and restores confidence for Karty, the path to a true NFC push looks far clearer heading into a heavyweight stretch.
The post Rams’ Sean McVay steaming mad at atrocious kicking situation appeared first on ClutchPoints.
