Frustration growing in LA?
While the Los Angeles Rams sit with a winning record (3-2) through five weeks of the 2025 NFL season, frustration continues to grow at the manner of the Rams’ losses, with two glaring problems in particular.
No party for Karty?
In Week 3, LA led the Philadelphia Eagles 26-7 in the third quarter, but could not stop the reigning Super Bowl champions from mounting a comeback.
The Eagles lead 27-26 with 1:51 left on the clock before Stafford conducted a 44-yard drive to put his team in field goal range.
However, kicker Joshua Karty saw his 44-yard attempt blocked for the second time in the game. This time, it was returned for a touchdown for Philly to ice the game.
This past Thursday night, the Rams suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, and Karty’s kicking was once again a topic of conversation.
Missed opportunities
The 2024 sixth-round draft pick missed an extra point for the Rams in the fourth quarter that would have given them a 21-20 lead.
This came after Karty had earlier missed a 53-yard field goal in the third quarter. Another four points the Rams have left on the board.
In 2025, Karty has missed three field goal attempts out of 12. Notably, he missed only five kicks out of 34 attempts in 2024. His two blocked field goals are more than he had in the entirety of the 2024 season.
Karty’s extra point kicks (XPs) are suffering too; the Rams kicker missed four XPs in 2024 and already has two so far this season.
In total, Karty had one blocked kick and nine missed kicks last season, whereas through five weeks of the 2025 season, he has had four blocked kicks and five misses.
Why is this happening?
Around the league, Karty has been praised for his knuckleball kick-off technique as of Week 3.
Following the loss to the Eagles, the Rams’ opponents’ average starting field position after kick-offs was the 21.6-yard line, by far the best in the NFL.
However, former NFL punter Pat McAfee believes Karty’s kick-off technique is making his field goals suffer. McAfee wrote on X: “Josh Karty is an immense talent.
“I am really worried about the squib that he hits for kick-offs because it feels like he is pulling his field goal kicks.
“I think every punter should be learning how to hit a squib.”
Rams punter Ethan Evan could take over the Rams kick-off duties, giving Karty time to focus on his field goals and XPs.
Evans is second in the NFL with punts inside the 20 with nine, on only 15 punts. He has previously been on kick-off duties for the Rams, with 165 kick-offs over his three years with LA.
The Kyren Williams rumbling fumbling machine
Another issue the Rams must address early, before it costs them any more games, is their fumbling issue.
Midway through the second quarter against the 49ers, Stafford threw a pitch to Blake Corum, but the second-year running back could not bring the ball in, resulting in a fumble and the 49ers recovering the ball.
The Rams overcame the first half fumble and 14-point deficit and only trailed the Niners 23-20 with 1:07 left on the clock.
It was looking positive for the Rams, who had first and goal at the 49ers’ 3-yard line. That was until Kyren Williams fumbled the ball on San Fran’s 1-yard line.
It was further frustration for the Rams and Williams.
The fourth-year running back from Notre Dame is a capable running back who averages 4.5 yards per carry throughout his Rams career, but ball security has become a big issue.
The Rams’ lead back now has 10 fumbles in 32 starts with seven lost. Williams must work on keeping hold of the ball to avoid these costly mistakes; otherwise, he may lose his spot as the Rams’ lead running back.
Rookie on stand-by
The Rams have now fumbled the ball five times this season, with Williams responsible for two of those. It is a crazy thing to suggest for a player with 3,317 all-purpose yards and 35 touchdowns over the past three seasons.
If Williams and Corum can not improve their ball security, rookie Jarquez Hunter will be ready to go.
Hunter had 3,371 rushing yards in four years at Auburn, averaging 6.3 yards a carry, 25 touchdowns and lost only three fumbles.
