Sean McVay tried something truly wild against the Chargers, rolling out not one, but *two* active kickers. And guess what? It was a total mixed bag for the Rams, with rookie Joshua Karty’s kickoff penalties already getting under the coach’s skin. This isn’t your usual gameday strategy, and McVay’s honest assessment after the game tells you everything you need to know about the headaches it caused.
The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre Strategy
Listen, the Rams went full unconventional, activating a field goal kicker, a kickoff kicker, and a punter all in one game. That’s just bizarre, right? On the one hand, Brandon McManus, the field goal guy, was perfect. He nailed all four of his kicks, three extra points and a solid 30-yard field goal. Zero complaints there, the man did his job. But then there’s Joshua Karty, who was only active to kick off. And that’s where the wheels started wobbling. Karty was flagged for two kickoffs short of the landing zone out of his five attempts. That’s a massive penalty, gifting the Chargers prime field position, and McVay was NOT happy about it.
McVay’s On-Record Frustration With the “Unusual” Plan
McVay didn’t mince words after the game about Karty’s gaffes. He recognized the kickoff coverage was doing a “really nice job,” which is great, but he cut right to the chase on the problem. “We can’t have the two penalties that put the ball on the 40-yard line,” McVay flat-out said. You hear that? *Can’t have it.* That’s a direct message to Karty. Now, McVay did throw him a bone, admitting that when Karty *did* get the ball into the landing zone, those were “good kicks” and “hard for the Chargers to return.” The whole thinking behind this “unusual” two-kicker setup was apparently for “successful outcomes with Josh kicking some of those squib or those dirty balls.” He even said Karty “will keep getting better at it,” but then dropped the kicker hammer: “Sometimes your roster might not allow you to be able to do that.”
So, where does this leave the Rams? McVay admits this two-kicker setup is “unusual,” and while the “thinking” is there for those tricky kicks, the penalties are a massive problem. Karty better clean it up fast, because even McVay knows sometimes “your roster might not allow you to be able to do that.”
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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