Matt Gay is the key to an LA Rams Super Bowl LVI victory

For the LA Rams, winning Super Bowl LVI will be a validation of every decision the franchise has made since Super Bowl LIII. Since that day, one of the most significant moves that the Rams made was signing free agent placekicker Matt Gay to be their starter. Since that happened, he has proven to be vital to the Rams’ ability to win. Look for him to carry that over into Super Bowl LVI.

This postseason, kickers have played an essential role in several games, so the assertion that a kicker will be a deciding factor in Super Bowl LVI makes sense. Cincinnati Bengals kicker,  Evan McPherson has been the talk of the NFL world, but the Rams Pro Bowl Kicker Matt Gay could prove to have a larger part to play in deciding this game.

The team that leaves the most points off the board is likely to be the team leaving empty-handed. Gay won’t leave points off the board as he did in the previous two games this postseason. He missed a 47-yard field goal in the Divisional Round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he did rectify that error by banging through a game-winner as time ran out.

He also missed a 54-yard field goal in the NFC Championship game for the LA Rams against their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. He also came through in that game, kicking both a game-tying FG and then booting the game-winner with the very next offensive possession.

Pro Bowler

While just a veteran of now three seasons, Matt Gay has seen the game of the business end of the NFL. He was the placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, the team that had drafted him that year. But at the end of the season, a spat of miscues that resulted in a set of missed field goals resulted in his release after just one season.

The LA Rams signed him from the practice squad of the Indianapolis Colts, as the team was deep in the throes of trying to find the right kicker. It’s like trying to find the light switch in a pitch-black room. Looking to turn it on when the switch is off is a long and tedious process. After it gets flipped to illuminate the room, it’s an “Aha!” moment as you realize that it was there all along.

It was Matt Gay who has meant all the difference for the Rams at the position. Just check out this rather entertaining and information interview after Matt Gay learned of being named to his first Pro Bowl

Matt Gay has been the margin of victory

Matt Gay’s imperfections this postseason, missing a field goal in each of the past two games, could be critical given the success of the opposing kicker. He will need to match, if not outperform, McPherson, who has been on a fantastic run this postseason, even to the point of applying to trademark his new nickname, Money Mac.

With a Super Bowl on the line, the Rams need to win in all three phases of the game to ensure a victory. Special Teams, and particularly field goal accuracy,  cannot be a reason why the Rams will fail to hoist the long-awaited Lombardi trophy for the city of Los Angeles.  After all, that is the reason why Matt Gay became the man in Los Angeles.

Of course, nobody is suggesting that the Rams kicker must win the game on his own.  The rest of the team needs to dominate as well. And it will be up to the offense to put him into proper position to put up three-pointers. Unfortunately, he can be the reason the Rams lose. Such is the life of an NFL kicker.

Still, there is a Super Bowl ring, a Lombardi trophy, and maybe even a Super Bowl MVP awaiting Matt Gay if he can deliver a perfect performance in Super Bowl LVI.