2023 was an abysmal year for the Rams’ special teams unit and the man who is on the hottest of hot seats entering the 2024 season is special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn.
The kicking game was a massive issue for the Rams last season with the team having the third-lowest field goal percentage in the NFL at 74.4 percent. While short-range attempts gave the team no problems, 40-yard attempts and beyond were an Achilles’ heel for the Rams in 2023.
They totaled 11 misses from 40-plus yards, including a 50-percent make rate from beyond 50 yards. The team’s longest field goal was from 54 yards. Only five other teams had shorter kicks.
The Rams’ kicking woes made them so desperate, that they signed 39-year-old Mason Crosby to their practice squad. Crosby was never activated as the Rams went with Brett Maher and Lucas Havirsik for kicking duties.
Maher missed six field goals and Havirsik missed five last season. They combined for five missed extra points. The Rams 86.5 extra point conversion percentage ranked second-worst in the NFL, only 1.5 percent ahead of Carolina.
Rookie Joshua Karty was the best kicker in college football last year. He has a career long of 61 and in 45 field goal attempts under 50 yards, he’s only missed twice in his career.
If Blackburn’s poor 2023 was a result of the lack of talent, 2024 should prove that Blackburn has what it takes to take the Rams’ kicking game to the level it used to be at. If not, some difficult questions will be asked pertaining Blackburn’s future with the franchise.