5 reasons why LA Rams could get hot in the NFL Playoffs

Reason 4 – Rams special teams are peaking at the right time

The LA Rams special teams are finally playing good football. Well, for the past several games, at least, the special teams’ level of play has not made viewers squeamish. In fact, the LA Rams special teams play has been a steady source of encouraging improvement this season. Steady improvement yes. A bright spot on the team? Well, I wouldn’t go that far.

Let’s start with the areas of greatest need for improvement.  Per ESPN Stats, the LA Rams average just 6.9 yards per punt return (23rd-ranked) and 20.6 yards on kick returns (22nd-ranked). While those are modest numbers, the Rams struggled with the return game early in the season. Since that time, the Rams have assigned the majority of the return duties on WR Nsimba Webster, who has averaged 21.7 yards on kick returns, and 7.1 yards on punt returns.

Kicks and coverages

The Rams struggled this season at covering kickoffs and punts this year as well.  The team averaged 12.9 yards per punt return, which is the 29th-ranked  coverage in the NFL. But against the Seahawks and Cardinals, the Rams held them to an average of just 5.0 yards on punt returns. and the team averaged touchbacks on 66.7 percent of the team’s kickoffs.

The true bright spot has been the Rams kicking game. While punter Johnny Hekker has been getting better at punting the ball within the 20-yard line, the Rams third kicker of the season, Matt Gay, appears to be the right guy for the job. Not only has he hit on all 16 extra-point attempts, and successfully kicked 14 of 16 field-goal attempts, but Gay has been accurate in seven of eight attempts from beyond the 40 yard-line. He has been so reliable, in fact, that the Rams do not hesitate to attempt the field goal, even from long range.