The Los Angeles Rams have gone from a heavyweight to a featherweight at kicker.
asserted
Rams → go → kicker
Unfortunately, their special teams problems still weigh a ton.
asserted
problems → weigh → ton
Gone is Harrison Mevis, the 6-foot-1, 250-plus-pound kicker affectionately known as the “Thiccer Kicker.
asserted
Mevis → go → Kicker
In comes Blake Grupe, a 5-foot-7, 150-pound replacement signed off the New York Jets’ practice squad.
asserted
Grupe → come → squad
From the “Thiccer Kicker” to the “Thinner kicker,” there’s roughly 100 pounds of difference at the position, enough to make fans wonder whether the Rams are holding auditions for a football team or conducting an extreme weight-loss competition.
But here’s what isn’t funny: The Rams have changed kickers, changed returners and shuffled personnel this season, yet the same special teams mistakes that have haunted them for two years refuse to disappear.
asserted
that → ’ → years
And Sunday’s matchup against the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium will provide an immediate test of whether this latest overhaul represents actual progress or simply another rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic.
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overhaul → provide → Titanic
Monday night’s 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills was the latest installment of a recurring nightmare for the Rams.
A costly kickoff coverage breakdown.
asserted
loss → recur → Rams
Another game the Rams should have won slipped away because they couldn’t execute football’s most fundamental assignments.
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they → win → assignments
Two blocked field goals helped derail the Rams.
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goals → block → Rams
How about the muffed punt in the NFC Championship game that likely cost the Rams another Lombardi Trophy?
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that → muff → Trophy
Coach Sean McVay acknowledged the instability on Thursday.
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McVay → acknowledge → Thursday
“You have a lot of moving parts,” he said, explaining how injuries and roster changes have created a trickle-down effect on special teams.
asserted
injuries → have → teams
The Rams have turned to Alex Bachman on punt returns, Jordan Whittington on kickoffs and now Grupe as their latest answer at kicker.
asserted
Rams → turn → kicker
McVay admitted they’re “continuing to figure out some of our identity” when it comes to special teams.
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it → admit → teams
That’s a troubling admission for a team with Super Bowl aspirations in the middle of October.
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That → ’ → October
An identity shouldn’t require a weekly search party.
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identity → require → party
The revolving door at kicker
Since Greg Zuerlein left as a free agent following the 2019 season, the Rams have had 11 different kickers in seven seasons.
asserted
Rams → revolve → seasons
That’s not a typo.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
Their latest experiment at the position, Grupe, arrives with some experience.
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experiment → arrive → experience
He converted all 11 field-goal attempts and 10 extra points during his second-half stint with the Colts last season.
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He → convert → Colts
But kicking isn’t performed in isolation.
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kicking → perform → isolation
There’s timing with long snapper Joe Cardona and holder Ethan Evans, protection assignments and a rhythm that usually develops through repetition.
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that → ’ → repetition
Grupe has had only two days to establish that chemistry.
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Grupe → have → chemistry
“It’s all about getting comfortable,” Grupe said.
asserted
Grupe → ’ → ?
Meanwhile, special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone continues preaching the same fundamentals.
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Ventrone → preach → fundamentals
“Let’s eliminate the bad football. Let’s stop from losing,” Ventrone said, recalling a favorite Bill Belichick saying.
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Belichick → eliminate → football
Eliminating the bad football is easier said than done.
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Eliminating → eliminate → football
The Rams aren’t consistently losing special teams battles because opponents are producing extraordinary plays.
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opponents → lose → plays
Too often, they’re beating themselves through poor leverage, missed assignments and breakdowns in execution.
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they → beat → execution
At some point, repeating the fundamentals without producing better results becomes an indictment of the operation itself.
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repeating → repeat → operation
All the pressure is now on Bubba Ventrone
After firing special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn in the middle of last season, McVay has publicly backed Ventrone, insisting no coaching changes are coming.
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changes → fire → Ventrone
That’s his prerogative.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
But accountability cannot stop with whichever kicker happens to miss the latest field goal.
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kicker → stop → goal
Ventrone brought on two special teams players this offseason in Grant Stuard and Cardona.
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Ventrone → bring → Stuard
He helped select Grupe.
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He → select → Grupe
He oversees the coverage units.
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He → oversee → units
He’s responsible for getting a constantly changing cast of players to execute together.
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cast → ’ → players
The Rams don’t need special teams to win every game.
asserted
teams → need → game
They desperately need them to stop losing games.
asserted
them → need → games
Sunday against Arizona, the standard shouldn’t be complicated: clean exchanges, disciplined coverage, secure returns and field goals that split the uprights.
asserted
that → complicate → uprights
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
