3 reasons why LA Rams make right call by going with K Forbath
By Bret Stuter
![Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Framblinfan-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F13798604-850x560-24e6d2977257ea749367cf31c9d295369b84c771c116210bd0032c18058a1db2.jpg)
Kai Forbath is accurate
The fact is that Kai Forbath was not spot-on accurate in his rookie season in the NFL. But in 2019, he finished their season without missing a single kick. That’s the career track of NFL kickers. The worst period is year one, that season where everything is new. It’s a new city, new team, new coaches, new teammates, new neighborhood, and even a new commute. All that creates a tough work experience to flourish.
But Forbath is past all of that. He’s kicked for seven different NFL teams and enjoyed varying measures of success along the way. He was only 66.7 percent accurate in 2015 when he shuffled between Washington to New England. The following season he signed on with the Minnesota Vikings and was a perfect five of five for them. He repeated perfection in 2019 when he did not miss while playing for either New England or Dallas.
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Rams needed a veteran
The LA Rams have too many moving parts this year. In a year with a new coordinator, no OTA’s, and a crash course training camp, this was not the ideal year for the Rams to hold tryouts for their kicking job. The LA Rams entered 2020 with the objective of returning to contention. That’s a tough spot for a rookie kicker to carve out a beachhead to begin an NFL season.
Conversely, the veteran Forbath knows exactly what needs to be done and has enough experience to do exactly that. As soon as he arrived, Forbath went to work impressing the coaching staff with his accuracy.
Sean McVay calls Kai Forbath’s work on field goals in practice this week “automatic”.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) October 30, 2020
So far he is one for two, having missed a 40+ field goal. This early in his season, one miss derails everything. But over time, he will have more kicks and improve his statistical accuracy. Now, about those long-range kicks.