Harrison Mevis, the Rams’ kicker, is out after special teams miscues, but don’t expect a change at the top of that unit. Rams head coach Sean McVay declared Tuesday that special teams coach Bubba Ventrone’s job is safe. This is a head-scratcher when you consider what just went down.
McVay’s Bold Bet On Ventrone
McVay didn’t mince words, saying, “I have a lot of confidence in Bubba Ventrone. There’s no changes that are gonna be made there. We’re gonna keep working. This isn’t the first time that we’ve had adversity and the first time that we’ve had some different things that I have to do a better job of.” It’s a strong vote of confidence, especially after the unit’s blunders directly led to Mevis getting canned. Mevis, for his part, was 12-of-13 on field goals, so it’s not like the guy couldn’t kick. It was the “miscues” around him that seem to be the issue.
A Troubled History For Rams Special Teams
This isn’t the first rodeo for the Rams’ special teams unit struggling. They fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn back in December after a series of blunders. Remember that 38-37 overtime loss to our Seahawks? Yeah, that’s what sparked that move. Assistant special teams coach Ben Kotwica finished that season as the interim coordinator, and then Ventrone was brought in this January. Ventrone joined after three seasons with Cleveland’s staff as their assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, and he also coached for the Colts and Patriots. He’s got the pedigree, but the results just aren’t there right now.
The fact that McVay is sticking with Ventrone, despite the unit causing a kicker to lose his job, is a wild move. It means McVay is putting all his chips on Ventrone figuring this mess out. We’ll be watching to see if that gamble pays off, or if these “miscues” keep costing the Rams games.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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