McVay fumes after Rams’ kicking woes help lead to OT loss to Bills, vows changes

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Sean McVay said what everyone who watched the Rams’ 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night was thinking.

“And in the kicking game, especially, you know, with our PAT/field goal (unit), not even close to good enough. It cost us the game tonight,” McVay said.

Harrison Mevis had a 48-yard field goal attempt that would have won the game in overtime blocked, his second miss of the night, to cap another calamitous effort on special teams for the Rams.

McVay is always calculated and measured with his public statements, particularly about his own players, which made his declarative statements about Mevis and the operation around him all the more telling.

Asked if he would consider making changes to the unit, McVay was even more blunt.

“Yeah, I’m going to evaluate everything,” he said.

The Rams (2-3) spent the offseason trying to reshape their special teams after frequent breakdowns in multiple games cost them the top seed in the NFC, home field advantage and a first-round bye. They also contributed to the loss in the NFC title game to the Seattle Seahawks.

McVay invested heavily in trying to fix that area, including hiring Bubba Ventrone as his special teams coordinator. There were key signings in free agency, including a new long snapper in Joe Cardona and special teams ace in linebacker Grant Stuard. More starters were put in the various blocking, return and coverage units, and more time was spent on those areas in training camp, something that has carried over into the regular season.

And yet, there have still been costly mistakes in each of their past two losses, a 30-26 defeat at the Denver Broncos on Sept. 27 and now against the Bills.

“This stings, and it’s going to hurt. But we can’t let this team beat us twice, and we’re going to have to regroup and reset ourselves. And it’s been a while since I’ve been this pissed after a game too,” McVay said.

Mevis thought he struck the ball well in overtime, only for Greg Rousseau to knife inside of guard Kevin Dotson, extend both hands straight up and send the ball on a low knuckleball trajectory before landing on the back line of the end zone.

“I felt like I hit it good. That’s all I can tell you,” said Mevis, who also missed a 50-yard field goal wide right on the Rams’ first possession of the game. He is 5 of 9 on field goals this season, with all of his misses longer than 40 yards.

There were plenty of other reasons for the defeat, including McVay’s conservative play calling on third down after quarterback Matthew Stafford easily drove the offense into Bills’ territory. Kyren Williams ran the ball on an inside handoff out of the shotgun on third-and-5 for no gain, with McVay seemingly settling for the long kick.

“I wish I would have had a better play call and gone for it, got it a lot tighter. I’m sick right now with myself, and I’m so proud of that group,” McVay said.

Even the opening kick foreshadowed another long night for the Rams’ special teams, with Ray Davis returning it 70 yards to the Los Angeles 26 to set up a Buffalo field goal. Punter Ethan Evans’ tackle was barely enough to prevent a touchdown.

In the locker room after the game and in front of the media, McVay went from player to player, saying how sick he felt about the outcome.

With as direct as he was about how it happened, changes on special teams are likely coming, and soon.

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