The Los Angeles Rams appear primed to make a run at the postseason again this season. After making a late push in 2023 and advancing to the NFC wildcard round where they lost to the Detroit Lions, the Rams have worked on improving their roster and team this offseason.
One area that could prove essential is the kicking game. The Rams went through multiple kickers during the 2023 season, struggling to find the consistency they were seeking at the position. They began the season with Brett Maher at kicker.
Maher had three games during the season where he missed two field goals, including during the Rams' 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, when his two missed field goals and one missed extra point proved to be the difference in the game. Maher was replaced by Lucas Havrisik, who made 15 of his 20 field goal attempts.
Overall, the team finished third-last in field goal percentage in 2023, hitting just 74.4% of their field goals. Only the New England Patriots and New York Giants hit a lower percentage of field goals. These misses were extra hurtful for the team since the Rams led the NFL in field goal attempts with 43, making them more reliant on them for scoring.
Since the end of the regular season, the Rams have headed in a new direction at the position by drafting kicker Joshua Karty out of Stanford. The Rams' sixth-round pick was a two-time All-American at Stanford. He made all but one of his extra point attempts during his college career and hit 86% of his field goal attempts. He was perfect on field goals in 2022, hitting all 18 of his attempts.
Given that 11 of the Rams' 17 games in 2023 were one-score contests, having a strong kicker is extra important for their chances of winning more games. Ideally, Karty will improve the kicking percentages from last season and keep the Rams' special teams unit from being a liability.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams News: Surprising Los Angeles Position Could Have Massive Impact This Year.