The Los Angeles Rams are wasting no time after their Week 5 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills, officially cutting kicker Harrison Mevis just one day after his game-winning field goal attempt was blocked. This wasn’t just another bad play, folks, it was the final straw for a team already struggling with special teams disasters, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The Overtime Heartbreak That Cost a Job
Picture this: Monday Night Football, Week 5, overtime. The Rams have a chance to win the game against the Bills with a field goal, and boom, it’s blocked. That’s exactly what happened with Mevis’ kick, leading directly to a loss. Garafolo, with insights from @RapSheet, confirmed the kicker change, noting it came right after that brutal blocked field goal in overtime. While it’s not fair to put all the blame on Mevis alone for the block, his kick still looked like it might’ve missed anyway. Add that to his season numbers, and it’s clear why the Rams made the move: he was hitting a brutal 55.6 percentage, making only 5-of-9 field goals, with a long of just 48 yards so far in 2026. Oof.
Out With Mevis, In With Grupe
It’s a tough break for Mevis, especially considering he had a solid 2025 season, going perfect on all six of his playoff field goals and hitting 12-of-13 in the regular season, plus being perfect on extra-point attempts. But his 2026 struggles were just too much to overlook. The Rams are now turning to Blake Grupe, snagging him off the Jets’ practice squad. Grupe, who’s also kicked for the Saints and Colts, brings a much better career field goal percentage of 81.9 percent. Last season with the Colts, he was money, hitting all 11 of his field goals in five games. Plus, he’s the active leader in extra-point percentage at a killer 98 percent. So, Mevis is out, Grupe is in, and the Rams are hoping this change finally cleans up their special teams mess.
The Rams are making a statement here: they’re not messing around with costly mistakes. They need someone reliable to finish drives, and they’re betting Grupe is that guy. Will this move be enough to turn their special teams around and avoid more crushing losses? We’ll have to watch and see what Grupe can do on the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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