Zooey wrote:

Rams: Los Angeles’ only real weakness right now is its kicking game. The team is 13 of 18 on field goals this year and had a disastrous finish in Philadelphia earlier this season, when Joshua Karty had two field goals blocked in the fourth quarter — including one for the win.

Harrison Mevis is kicking now, but the Rams have attempted just four field goals over their last seven games, and none in pressure situations. If anything is going to take down the Super Bowl favorites, it’s probably the kicking game. And if any team understands how important postseason kicking is, it’s them.

I don’t agree that the kicking game is a problem. They not only replaced Karty, they replaced their long snapper, and if you look at inactives lists, you see that they shuffled the blockers on the FG/XP kicking unit.

The fact that they have not kicked that many FGs is not because they’re avoiding kicks. Bizarrely, the article seems to hint at that. Naw they have not been kicking FGs because the offense is on such a tear right now. They are first in the league in points scored in the first quarter. They are 3rd in this very important stat: NFL Team Red Zone Scoring Percentage (TD only)

They have not needed to kick FGs.

That does not mean the kicker is a problem, it means we don’t really know where he stands. Mevis does, however, have a good history.

Here’s the wiki on him:

College career
As a sophomore, Mevis emerged as one of the premier place kickers in the nation, going 23/25 (93%) on field goal attempts. He also was a perfect 3/3 on field goals longer than 50 yards with a long of 56 yards. … Following his sophomore season, Mevis was named a first team All-American. On September 16, 2023, during the closing seconds of a game against 15th–ranked Kansas State, Mevis kicked a 61-yard field goal to win the game 30–27 for Missouri, breaking the record for the longest field goal in SEC history. In his Senior Night game, he hit a 30-yard game winning field goal vs the Florida Gators to win 33–31.

Birmingham Stallions
On December 6, 2024, Mevis signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). In week 7, Mevis went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards and was named the UFL special teams player of the week

That’s not “having done it for the Rams yet,” but it is very solid potential. Those are real accomplishments.

I think he got overlooked by teams because he does not have a “traditional kicker’s build” (ie. lean) and therefore strikes some coaching types as too “atypical.” He looks like a fatty, and NFL coaches don’t “go there.” (Well unless you’re an O-lineman.)

Not only that but on one of his kicks, I forget which one, he did face a rusher who had beaten the blocking, and it did not faze him one bit. He didn’t “hurry up” but stayed in focus and hit his typical hard, high, right-up-the-middle kick.

I think with Karty there were problems with the blocking and the long snapper, and it undermined him. I think Mevis has much tougher composure and has very little in the way of “nerves.” Plus they fixed the blocking issues anyway.

That’s what I have seen so far.

Plus! Ironically, Seattle lost to the Rams because they missed a last second clutch FG.

…

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Puka Nacua played only 31 snaps (44%) for the Rams last week and still won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

The Rams in the red zone is elite on elite. Literally.

37.5% of the Rams offensive plays result in a first down or touchdown in the red zone (1st).

On average, those converting plays are happening at the earliest rate in a series across all teams. pic.twitter.com/fON8PQlS2b

— Josh (@JoshiosTweets) December 9, 2025

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Puka Nacua through 14 weeks this season:

– T-1st with 93 receptions
– 2nd with 1,186 yards
– 2nd with 19 catches of 20+ yards
– 2nd among WRs with 79% catch rate
– 3rd in yards after catch
– 2nd in yards per route run
– 3rd in EPA per target

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2025/12/10/the-rams-red-zone-offense-and-defense-are-the-best-in-the-nfl/87700846007/?taid=69399dcfa50af20001ace024&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

…the Los Angeles Rams have been great in the red zone, both on offense and defense.

Sean McVay’s squad leads the NFL in red zone touchdowns (38) and is tied for third in red zone touchdown conversion rate (66.7%). Defensive coordinator Chris Shula, meanwhile, has coached a defense that allows the second-fewest red zone touchdowns (17) and second-lowest red zone touchdown conversion rate (42.5%).

Things get better, though, when you include first down conversion rate inside the 20-yard line.

The Rams led the NFL on both sides of the ball, too. L.A. converts a first down or scores a touchdown on 37.5% of its offensive plays while allowing a first down or touchdown on only 20.4% of the team’s defensive plays

🔹 NFC Offensive Player of the Week
🔹 7 REC, 167 REC Yards, 2 REC TDs
🔹 Highest-graded game by a WR in PFF history (97.4)
🔹 @AsapPuka x #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/qdKwfa4sIX

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 10, 2025