Rams finally address special teams struggles, including bringing in competition for PK Joshua Karty

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Special teams breakdowns have continued to haunt the Los Angeles Rams, even as a three-game winning streak has solidified their status as Super Bowl contenders.

The Rams (6-2) have finally made moves to address their most glaring weakness, signing two players to the practice squad. They added kicker Harrison Mevis on Wednesday and veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide on Tuesday.

Second-year kicker Joshua Karty has missed five field goals and three extra points this season. Whiffing on one of each in a 34-10 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday finally compelled coach Sean McVay to bring in alternate options for two parts of the struggling operation.

“It’s all geared towards trying to be able to just get some solutions and some kick consistency, really, with our field goal operation,” McVay said. “Think it’s important to be able to have good competition at some spots that we feel like we can have improved play to be able to evaluate all 11.”

McVay said Karty and Mevis will compete this week to play at San Francisco on Sunday, with more kicking in practice than a typical game week allowing them to do so.

Karty was a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft out of Stanford and the second kicker selected that year. After some midseason struggles, he settled in as a rookie and made 17 straight field goals to end the season, including the playoffs. Karty also made six of seven attempts from 50 yards or longer, seemingly giving the Rams the consistency they had been lacking at the position since allowing Matt Gay to depart in free agency following the 2022 season.

But that unraveled this season, starting in the 33-26 implosion against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 21 when Karty had two field goals blocked, including a 44-yarder as time expired that would have won the game and was run back for a 61-yard touchdown to serve as an exclamation point on the meltdown.

In a Week 5 overtime loss to the 49ers, Karty pushed a 53-yard field goal wide right to start the third quarter and had an extra point in the fourth quarter blocked that would have given the Rams the lead.

“We've had a struggling room, myself included, kind of recently, and we're trying to make improvements. And it's one step at a time,” Karty said.

Mevis has never attempted a kick at the NFL level, with the Missouri product’s game experience as a professional coming in the UFL this spring. He made 21 of 23 field goals (91.3%) for Birmingham and also spent time on the practice squad with the Carolina Panthers and in camp with the New York Jets.

In college, Mevis made 89 of 106 field goals (84%) and 148 of 149 extra points (99.3%). He received first-team All-SEC honors in 2021 and became a fan favorite for his stocky build.

“It doesn’t matter what they throw at you, you got to be able to make a kick,” Mevis said of his approach.

At long snapper, McQuaide looks set to replace Alex Ward this week and likely going forward. This will be McQuaide's 15th season having played for five different teams. He spent his first 10 seasons with the Rams from 2011-2020, appearing in 160 games in St. Louis and Los Angeles. McQuaide had a four-game stint with the Minnesota Vikings and a three-game stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2024.

McQuaide declined to participate in any NFL training camps this summer for family reasons, and the 37-year-old is confident he can deliver for his new old team.

“Like, I still feel like I’m that caliber of player,” McQuaide said. “I'm not just a guy that's like, ‘Oh well, we got somebody hurt’ or ‘I guess we’ll put this Band-Aid on it.' I feel like I can come in and I play at the highest level.”

No matter who is at which spot on Sunday, the Rams understand the urgency to get their kicking game resolved.

“There's so many pieces to it, the protection, the snap, the holder, putting that confidence into your kicker,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “We got to make sure we find a way to rally on that, but optimistic that we’ll figure it out for sure.”

NOTES: WR Puka Nacua (rib) was limited in practice Wednesday, and McVay expects him to play this week after sustaining an injury late in the win over New Orleans. … DB Darious Williams (shoulder) was also limited, and he should return after sitting out against the Saints.

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