‘F Them Picks’? More like ‘F Them Kicks’

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

For years, the Los Angeles Rams have been lauded as the most aggressive, innovative and forward-thinking franchises in all of football.

Except in one area.

The special teams play has been anything but special for the Rams in the Sean McVay Era.

In a game many viewed as a potential Super Bowl preview against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, the kicking game proved to be the difference between winning and losing yet again for Los Angeles.

Matthew Stafford went 40-for-54 passing for 383 yards and three touchdowns. Puka Nacua was targeted a career-high 24 times and finished with 17 catches. Defensively, the Rams limited Josh Allen to 210 yards through the air and forced Buffalo into two turnovers. And yet, because the ‘Thicker Kicker’ Harrison Mevis missed a 50-yard field

goal attempt in the first quarter and had a 48-yard game-winner blocked in overtime, the Rams fell to the Bills 37-34.

And absolutely nobody should be surprised.

If general manager Les Snead’s mantra is ‘F Them Picks’, then McVay’s mantra should be ‘F Them Kicks’, because he’s put specials teams on the back burner ever since he arrived in Los Angeles in 2017.

The Rams have had an NFL-high three field goal attempts blocked since the start of last season. What’s more, in the McVay Era, Los Angeles has had 81 missed or blocked kicks, which is third-most in the league in that span.

As recently as Week 16 of last season, the Rams allowed a 58-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter, sparking a 16-point comeback win by the Seattle Seahawks, which essentially ended any hopes Los Angeles had of winning the NFC West and earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.

And how did McVay respond?

By bringing over Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone in the offseason to run the operation in Los Angeles. The fact that the Browns had the 32 nd ranked special teams unit (DVOA) under Ventrone in 2025 apparently didn’t matter to McVay, so it should come as no surprise then that the Rams now have the 32 nd ranked special teams unit under Vetrone so far in 2026.

With Stafford, Nacua and Davante Adams on offense, the Rams can score with anybody in football. And with Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie and Aaron Donald on defense, they can at least slow down even the most explosive NFL offenses. But, until McVay and Co. make special teams a priority, they will continue to fumble away games that they otherwise would have won.