Sean McVay cannot rely on the Rams' special teams -- and the Rams must fix it before it's too late ... again — SkimNews
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- Sean McVay called a run on 3rd-and-5 at the Bills' 30 in overtime instead of letting Matthew Stafford (24-for-31, 284 yards, two TDs in the second half and OT) throw, settling for a 48-yard field goal attempt.
- Harrison Mevis's 48-yard attempt was blocked, Buffalo scored on the ensuing possession to win 37-34, and the Rams dropped to 2-3 — already three losses for a Super Bowl favorite.
- Mevis had entered the kick 3-for-7 in his career from 43+ yards (100% from 42 or closer) and had already missed a 50-yarder earlier in the Bills game.
- The Rams are dead last in the NFL in special teams EPA this season — somehow worse than last year's 31st-place finish — and lead the league in futility at 5-for-9 on field goals.
- McVay called the call "gross" and accepted blame: "I'm sick right now with myself... that's on me," vowing to fix the kicking operation.
- Last year's special-teams wounds — a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the NFC Championship loss to Seattle (by four) and a punt-return TD allowed in a Week 16 loss to the Seahawks (by one) — are repeating, with the Bills game also featuring a 70-yard kickoff return allowed.
Why it matters: The Rams are dead last in special teams EPA despite a roster built around Stafford, Nacua, and Adams, and McVay just publicly owned a loss he could have prevented by simply letting Stafford throw on 3rd-and-5. If GM Les Snead doesn't overhaul the kicking and coverage units after last year's midseason firings, a championship roster keeps losing games decided by its weakest phase.
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