News Article
Published
Oct 13, 2026 at 03:21 PM EDT
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay admitted following the team's 37-34 "Monday Night Football" overtime loss versus the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 that big changes could be coming to his special teams unit.
Less than 24 hours later, it appears that McVay is sticking to his word.
Despite a huge performance by star wide receiver Puka Nacua in his second game since returning from injury and a historic effort from MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Rams' special teams cost the team dearly on Monday night.
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Undrafted second-year kicker Harrison Mevis continued his early-season struggles in the contest, going 0-for-2 on his field goal attempts, including having a potential game-winning 48-yard kick blocked in overtime. The "Thiccer Kicker" has now converted just five of his nine field goal attempts this season.
Mevis wasn't alone in his poor play, as Los Angeles also surrendered a whopping 219 kick return yards on seven tries, as well as 234 rushing yards.
New kicker Blake Grupe spent the first two seasons of his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints from 2023 to 2025, going 75-for-94 on field goal attempts and 86-for-88 on extra point tries. He was a perfect 11-for-11 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points across five games with the Indianapolis Colts last season.