5 overreactions to LA Rams uncanny victory on TNF over rival 49ers

(3) - Rookie K Joshua Karty is over his slump

I don't know that any player on the Rams roster has generated such a love-hate-love response from fans as much as rookie kicker Joshua Karty has this season. He was drafted in Round 6 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and arrived with a lot of positive reports and hype that extended well into training camp. The challenge is that rookie kickers are, well, rookies. And that means that they are not as consistent as fans believe they should be.

Kickers are always on full display with each field goal attempt. The proficiency of NFL kickers as a whole has become so good that it's more noticeable whenever a kicker misses a field goal or extra point, rather than when he makes it. Joshua Karty has missed some this season. As expected, Rams fans didn't respond well to that.

The curious thing is, why? All rookie kickers struggle in that first season in the NFL. And continued comparisons between Karty and other elite kickers' rookie seasons confirm that Karty is right on track with others who played before him. So it's not him, but rather our reactions to his performance, that is the anomaly.

Patience is a virtue for good reason. Sticking with a young player who has not put forth his best effort often aids him in finding his best effort. Karty nailed all four field goals in Week 15, and put up the only points on the scoreboard.

Yes, against the San Francisco 49ers, Karty has maintained a perfect six of six at kicking field goals, and three for three at kicking extra points. That includes his four-for-four showing in Week 15 to win the game. But don't expect Karty to go on a run of successive field goals or extra points with no misses. That is unlikely to happen. After all, he's still a rookie. But he comes through in the clutch.