Less than 24 hours after losing an overtime thriller, the LA Rams have made a brutal call on the kicker who coach Sean McVay believes “cost us the game”.

The Rams were pipped 37-34 by the Buffalo Bills in California, with kicker Harrison Mevis bearing the brunt of criticism from both players and LA staff.

The 24-year old, who has endured a difficult start to the season, missed a 50-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter, but made an even more egregious error in overtime.

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With the match resting on his boot, Mevis had a 48-yard kick that would have won the game for the Rams blocked, with the Bills shortly after taking the win via a Tyler Bass kick following a spectacular set-up from star quarterback Josh Allen.

A seething McVay laid the blame squarely on the Rams’ field goal team, saying he would “evaluate everything” to counteract what has become the NFL’s worst performing special teams unit.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been this pissed after a game,” he said.

“In the kicking game, especially with our PAT, field goal, not even close to good enough.

“It cost us the game tonight.”

The Rams have wasted no time in swinging the axe, cutting Mevis and replacing him with New York Jets’ practice squad signing Blake Grupe.

Mevis had been elevated to the Rams’ roster in November last year, making 12 of 13 field goal attempts and going 39 for 39 on PATs in an impressive debut season.

He was retained as an exclusive rights free agent, but has gone 5/9 on field goal attempts this season.

Nickname “the Thiccer Kicker” owing to his hefty build by professional athlete standards, Mevis was an All-America first team selection as a sophomore at the University of Missouri in 2023.

While crediting his contribution, McVay was blunt when confirming Mevis’ departure.

“I thought he was a rock for us last year when we obviously struggled in that area,” the coach said.

“But ultimately we need better production, and that’s what we’re hoping to get out of from Blake (Grupe).”

However, he walked back the claim Mevis and the field-goal unit had cost the Rams the game.

“He (Mevis) wasn’t exclusively the reason,” McVay said.

“This is the greatest team sport … when I look at last night, if I could rephrase what I was saying, it was that unit cost us an opportunity to win the game.

“That wasn’t the reason that we didn’t win exclusively.”

Grupe, who started his NFL career at the New Orleans Saints, was cited by McVay as “the best guy available that had real game experience”.



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