The Los Angeles Rams are making a hard reset on special teams after a brutal 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, officially releasing kicker Harrison Mevis and bringing in Blake Grupe from the New York Jets’ practice squad. This wasn’t some minor tweak, folks, this was a direct response to a disastrous outing that ended with Mevis missing a game-winning 48-yard field goal attempt in overtime.
Mevis’s Season-Long Slide Ends in Heartbreak
Let’s be real, Harrison “the Thiccer Kicker” Mevis had been struggling all season, but Monday night against the Bills was the absolute low point. Yeah, he drilled all four of his extra-point attempts, which is something, but those two missed field goals? Oof. The first was a 50-yarder in the first quarter, fine, tough kick. But that final one, a 48-yarder in overtime that was supposed to win the whole damn game, got tipped by Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau and sailed wide. You just can’t have that when the game is on the line. Mevis’s performance this season has been rough, sitting dead last in the NFL with a meager 55.6% field goal percentage, making just 5 of his 9 attempts. Last year, he was much better, going 12-of-13 on field goals and perfect on all 39 extra points across nine games, but this season has been a completely different story.
McVay’s Head-Scratching Play Calls and a Unit in Trouble
While Mevis is taking the fall, some of the blame for that overtime collapse has to land squarely on head coach Sean McVay. The man got way too conservative when it mattered most. His offense had just punched in three straight touchdown drives to close out the fourth quarter, showing they could move the ball, but in overtime, needing just a field goal to win from the Bills’ 35-yard line, McVay went soft. On second-and-10, he called a short pass to Puka Nacua for five yards. Then, on third-and-5, a Kyren Williams run got stuffed at the line of scrimmage. That series of events set up the ill-fated 48-yard field goal attempt. McVay himself admitted the kicking game wasn’t good enough, saying after the game, “I thought offensively and defensively we battled. Thought some of the coverage units, we did some really good stuff. And then the kicking game, especially with our PAT, field goal , not even close to good enough. It cost us the game tonight.” And it’s not just Mevis. The Rams’ special teams unit has been a mess for a couple seasons, ranking 29th in yards per kickoff return and 26th in yards per kickoff return allowed this year. This change was probably inevitable.
Enter Blake Grupe: Can the New Guy Fix It?
So, who’s the new guy stepping into the pressure cooker? It’s Blake Grupe, coming over from the Jets’ practice squad. And get this: Grupe is one of the smallest dudes in the entire NFL, clocking in at 5-foot-7 and 156 pounds. He went undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2023, but he’s got some experience, having kicked for both the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. The Jets picked him up off waivers back in August and he’s been chilling on their practice squad all season. His career numbers are definitely an upgrade: in 50 games, he’s hit 81.9% of his field goals, including a long of 60 yards, and 98% of his extra points. In 2025, he played 11 games for the Saints, going 18-of-26 on field goals (69.2%), and then crushed it in five games for the Colts, hitting all 11 of his field goal attempts and all his extra points. The Rams desperately need that kind of consistency.
This move clearly shows the Rams are not messing around after letting a win slip away. With Grupe now on the roster, all eyes will be on him to deliver the crucial kicks in their next game. The pressure is on, big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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