Turf Show Times
There are great punts and then there are great punts in critical situations and Ethan Evans just achieved both on a single kick to essentially give the L.A. Rams an assured victory of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Up 21-19 and forced to give the ball back to the Seahawks with 1:50 left in the game, Evans could have either punted it safe and short of the end zone or kicked it too far and allowed a touchback
Instead, Evans punted it at the one-yard line, where it bounced up and out of bounds at the half-yard line. Although the Seahawks ended up driving into Rams territory for a 61-yard field goal attempt, Seattle kicked Jason Myers missed wide right and L.A. took first place in the NFC West with a win. Had it not been for Evans’ punt, the Seahawks could have driven into a much easier field goal range for Myers.
This is as close to a game-winning perfect punt as you’ll ever see.
Twitter went crazy for Evans’ punt, calling it everything from the punt of the year to the best punt some think they’ve ever seen.
Bleacher Report called it the “punt of the year”.
“I’ve never seen a better punt” said Josh Norris.
“Best Punt I’ve EVER seen” tweeted Ben Stevens.
With special teams being such a focal point of negativity for the Rams this season, Evans may have bought coordinator Chase Blackburn some extra time to work out L.A.’s issues on that side of the ball.
Evans said he treated it “like any other punt” but this was anything but any other punt.
Sean McVay has not had much faith in his special teams unit this season. In a close game against a division rival, it was an unlikely hero on special teams who saved the day and pinned Seattle’s hopes at the goal line.
