The Rams Have Finally Solved Their Biggest Problem
WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. After making the move to replace Joshua Karty with Harrison Mevis, the Los Angeles Rams' kicking operation has been flawless. After fixing their issues, the Rams have remained undefeated.
During the week, Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke on his team's kicking operation.
The Calmness of Mevis
Mevis and his up-and-out approach with his kicks has given the Rams a sense of stability after a rocky start to the season. McVay was asked about the emotional regulation of Mevis' play.
“Yeah, it's a good way to put it," stated McVay. "Emotional regulation, like the opposite of me, huh? (laughter) He's been steady and I think when you look at his career at Missouri and even some of the circumstances in the UFL, he's been a cool customer. He comes in and goes to work. I think he feels very grateful. You could see there's probably a healthy perspective that allows him to realize this is a blessing, it's never a burden."
"I've been really pleased with what he's done. He’s made all 13 of the attempts that he's had up to this point and I think that's a credit to [Long Snapper] Jake [McQuaide] and [Punter] Ethan [Evans] and the protection as well. It was good to be able to get off a couple of those field goal opportunities because other than that, it's been exclusively extra points. Him being able to hit the one from 40 and then for 52, [yards], I think that's great for that overall operation. I was really happy for him. It's awesome.”
The Improvements in Protection
McVay also spoke on the unit as a whole, expressing pleasure in keeping Mevis and his kicks safe.
“I thought it was good," stated McVay. "[Buccaneers’ Cornerback Zyon] McCollum's one of the guys that does a really good job of bending the edge. He did a nice job, but the timing ended up beating it on the one 52-yarder that he had."
"Overall, I've been really pleased with that operation as a whole. I think a lot of the work that the guys have put in behind the scenes… what's refreshing is that you're starting to see that translate for successful outcomes. I think the confidence is compounding and we want to continue to build on that.”
Eye For the Future
While Mevis does appear to be the Rams kicker of the future, the Rams remain committed to Joshua Karty. While they did have to waive him from the roster in order to bring back some of their other players coming back from injured reserve, the Rams will re-sign him if he clears waivers.
“Absolutely," stated McVay on retaining Karty. "That's what we want to be able to do. I want to see what's best for Josh, first and foremost, even if that doesn't necessarily suit the Rams because of the appreciation I have for the human being. I'm certainly hopeful that the journey does continue with us in that capacity if that's something that works out for us.”
Dolphins shake up their roster ahead of Week 13 showdown with the Saints, officially bringing back two starters while risking two youngsters to waivers
The Miami Dolphins are officially up a pair of starters for the final six game stretch. There's plenty of pressure to win in South Florida as the Dolphins' head coach,
So it should come as no surprise that the Dolphins, as this season turns to December, are emptying the chamber and calling all hands on deck. For Miami's first game out of the bye, Miami is officially welcoming back both
Dolphins waive two, officially activate both tight end Darren Waller and right tackle Austin Jackson
Miami's roster moves feature the release of two young players who have gotten at least sparing opportunities this season to play and move the needle for their respective futures. Kion Smith was a promising developmental tackle back in 2023 before suffering a season-ending injury in the preseason of 2024. He'd been given the first crack at playing right guard upon the injury to James Daniels this season but lasted less than two starts before being pulled. Tight end Hayden Rucci is a second-year tight end who has done well for himself when filling in for Julian Hill midseason.
Now, Miami must allow both players to pass through the NFL's waiver system before they're able to entertain the idea of re-acquiring the rights to either player.
The numbers game makes sense for Miami in the sense that they're welcoming back a tackle and a tight end, so they've now released a tackle and a tight end. Jackson and Waller are unquestionable needle-moving talents at their respective positions but both players have seen their careers marred by availability issues. The bet the Dolphins are now making is that both will be able to string together six weeks of available play — and if they're right, it should offset the risk of exposing both Rucci and Smith's rights to the rest of the league.
