Los Angeles is facing a monstrous hole on their special teams units, potentially missing 42 reps from Week 1 players, and it’s only Week 2. This early in the season, losing that kind of special teams experience is brutal. It’s not just about star players, it’s about the unsung heroes who make crucial plays.
The Injury Bug Just Keeps Biting L.A. Hard
The Rams’ injury woes are piling up fast, and it’s a serious problem heading into their Monday Night Football tilt against the New York Football Giants. Earlier in the week, star edge Myles Garrett got slapped on the Injured Reserve List, meaning he’s out for a minimum of four weeks. That alone is a huge blow. But the pain doesn’t stop there. Their WR#1, Puka Nacua, is a game-time decision because of an ailing hip, which is a major concern for their offense. Safety Kamren Kinchens has been ruled out, and Jordan Whittington, their WR#3 and primary kickoff returner, is designated as doubtful. This isn’t just about offense and defense anymore; the ripple effect is hitting every single phase of their game.
Special Teams Units Are Taking a Massive Hit
When Kinchens and Whittington are out, it leaves gaping holes in the Rams’ return and coverage units. Kinchens was a key piece on coverage units in Week 1, and Whittington was pulling gunner duty on both punts and kickoffs, on top of his return work. We’re talking about crucial players who had significant roles. Just look at the snap counts from last week: Whittington himself accounted for 13 reps across kickoff return, punt coverage, punt return, and kickoff coverage. Kinchens had 6 reps on punt coverage and kickoff coverage.
But it gets even worse. You also have to factor in Kamren Curl, Nate Landman, and Omar Speights, three other starters who were limited all week in practice. Speights had 9 special teams reps in Week 1, and Landman had 7. Add it all up, and the Rams could be without a staggering 42 special teams reps that were active just last week. That’s a massive amount of experience and effort to replace, and it’s going to test their depth in a big way. Remember, even punter Ethan Evans is out here deadlifting 800 pounds, but that won’t help the coverage unit!
This Monday night game against the Giants is huge, and how the Rams rally around these replacements could seriously shape the early part of their season. They’ve got to find a way to get it done, or these special teams struggles are going to be a problem.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
Leave a Reply