The Rams are no longer kicking the can down the road when it comes to their kicking problems.
On Wednesday, the Rams signed kicker Harrison Mevis to the practice squad to compete with second-year pro Joshua Karty. The move came a day after the team signed veteran long-snapper Jake McQuaide to compete with Alex Ward.
“It’s all geared toward trying to be able to just get some solutions and some kick consistency really with our field-goal operation,” coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. “I think it’s important to have good competition at some spots that we feel we can have improved play.”
The Rams are preparing for their game on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The Rams are 6-2 — and their losses against the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers both resulted from problems in the kicking game that resurfaced without dire consequences in last Sunday’s rout of the New Orleans Saints.
Against the Saints, Karty missed a 39-yard field goal attempt and an extra-point attempt. Karty has made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and 23 of 26 extra-point attempts.
McVay said after the game that the Rams would evaluate “all parts of where we go with this operation.”
On Tuesday, they turned to McQuaide, 37, who played for the Rams from 2011-2020 and was part of a special teams unit that also included kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter/holder Johnny Hekker.
“If all things go well with Jake, we expect him to be our long-snapper,” McVay said.
On Wednesday, they brought in Mevis, who made 89 of 106 field-goal attempts at Missouri, including one from 61 yards. In the United Football League this past season, he made 20 of 21 field-goal attempts.
So Karty and Mevis will duel during expanded special teams drills this week.
“We’ll implement more than we normally would on a Wednesday and a Thursday and truly be able to kind of use it as a competition,” McVay said.
Karty noted that that kicking unit had been struggling — “myself included,” he said — and that he would embrace the process one step at a time. He said he thought he “hit the ball really well” on Wednesday and was excited to build upon it Thursday.
“I have a great sense of a feeling of what I need to do, what I need to focus on, how I can get better,” Karty said after practice, “and just one day at a time, just try and go out and execute that plan.”
Mevis, 23, said he was training in Columbia, Mo., when he got the call for a tryout with the Rams.
Mevis made 89 of 106 field-goal attempts at Missouri, including one from 61 yards. In the United Football League this past season, he made 20 of 21 field-goal attempts.
He said he kicked well on Wednesday and was enjoying the California weather.
“If there’s any way I can help this team and make kicks, really that’s what I’m here to do,” he said. “Just put my best foot forward and make kicks. That’s what I’m here for.”
McQuaide, 37, played for the Rams from 2011-2020 and was part of a special teams unit that also included kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter/holder Johnny Hekker.
McQuaide said was at home in Ohio, training and waiting for an opportunity.
“My agent called me and said, ‘Sean’s going to hit you up in a second.’ And I said, “OK, that was unexpected.’” McQuaide said. “But it’s always a good one to get. Just want to get on a team and help ‘em out however I can.”
Said McVay: “If all things go well with Jake, we expect him to be our long-snapper.”
Ward said competition can bring out the best in him.
“A chance to get better, a chance to show what I can do, and a chance to prove that I can be here and do the work, do the job,” he said.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
