Will the LA Rams special teams step up once more?

Powell powers the Rams special teams’ resurgence

Powell’s performance has coincided with the LA Rams winning streak of five games. While he hasn’t delivered 65-yard kick returns in each of the past five games, he has been a steady force of competency on a unit that has truly struggled with even the most basic of concepts like having a consistent player involved in the return game each week.

Even as he has been on the team’s practice squad in 2021, Powell has been activated on a weekly basis to help the Rams special teams return kickoffs and punts, and has been a refreshingly adept player in that role. In fact, he’s been getting even more proficient in the role as he has gained more experience.

• Week 13   2 KRs- 81 yards   0 PRs
• Week 14   1 KR – 27 yards    0 PRs</li
• Week 15   2 KRs – 46 yards  1 PR – Fair Catch
• Week 16   0 KRs                       2 PR – 75 yards 1 TD
• Week 17   1 KR – 18 yards    1 PR – 18 yards

His punt return for a touchdown in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings was truly a game-changer.

Powell promoted to the active roster

Since the Rams were able to use the COVID-19 exemption for three weeks, the team was able to maintain Powell on the practice squad as he became more and more valuable to the team.  Ultimately, the team was forced to make a decision, and so the team signed him up to the Rams roster.

To make room, the team simply swapped places from WR J.J. Koski with that of WR/KR/PR Brandon Powell.

His strong play could not have come at a better time for the Rams. The fact is that his ability to perform to expectations has truly settled one of the more troublesome roster spots that have caused plenty of concerns as the season wore on. Ideally, rookie WR Tutu Atwell was earmarked for the role, but he struggled when given the opportunity, and then fell to injury.

Rookie RB Jake Funk also auditioned at returning the football before falling to injury.

Powell’s promising performance has been a very stabilizing force to a rather uncertain unit, but his play has made the return game of the LA Rams dangerous once more.