8 winners and 4 losers in the Rams Week 14 win over the Bills

Winner 7: ILB Jake Hummel/TE Hunter Long

You can go years without seeing a blocked punt. You can go many years without seeing a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. But the LA Rams special teams/defense just manufactured seven points in a game of 86 points, and those seven points directly contributed to a victory.

Special team players seldom get noticed. No matter how well they contribute to the victory, the fact that they are buried among the anonymous ranks of NFL players whose largest contribution is covering and returning plays on special teams seldom makes the highlight reels of any post-game summaries.

So when backup inside linebacker Jake Hummel's outstretched hand stop a Buffalo Bills punt in mid-air, only to be picked up and run into the endzone by backup tight end Hunter Long, that is a huge deal. Rams fans may go years without witnessing another blocked punt be returned for a score. Many NFL fans have not seen a similar play in many years.

Not all fans have supported Rams ST Coordinator Chase Blackburn. Many had called for the Rams to part ways with Blackburn at the end of the 2023 NFL season. But coaches and coordinators are not easily swapped out, despite the most passionate fans outcries. That is why we saw no signs of the team firing Blackburn after one season, and have no reason to believe his job is at any risk now.

Blackburn finally has young players to develop. So, let him develop them. The 'grass is greener' concept is lost on some fans. But rookies do not show up as All-Pro NFL players. They take time to groom, develop, learn optimal techniques and training habits that work for them. Eventually, all of the strategy and practice pays off. Hummel and Long, two backup players who have little to show for their efforts on either defense or offense, combined to help secure a win with the most unlikely of plays.

And it could be years before fans see another play like it again.