Los Angeles Rams' Kicker Plays Vital Role in Helping Team Advance in NFL Playoffs
Los Angeles is going through some tough times, but thanks to a dominant display by the Rams on Monday night, the city was able to feel a small bit of relief for the night. A 27-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings kept the Rams alive in the NFC playoffs and gave them the chance to face the Philadelphia Eagles next week, with the winner earning a spot in the NFC Championship Game.
Thanks to another strong game from rookie kicker, former Stanford star Joshua Karty, the Rams were able to bring a little light during times of darkness to the people of LA.
Responsible for nine of the team's 27 points, Karty converted on all of his kicks, going 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points. Making a long of 44 yards, Karty's playoff debut was exactly what the Rams had hoped for and more. Karty's first-ever playoff field goal came in the first quarter when he put a 34-yard field right down the middle of the uprights to extend the Rams' lead to 10-0.
Karty's big game marks his sixth consecutive game that he did not miss a kick, dating back to the regular season. Winning the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December/January, Karty's run of dominance began on December 1 against the New Orleans Saints before continuing that run through the entirety of the month until the regular season ended.
During that span, Karty had two of his biggest games against the 49ers in week 15, when he was responsible for all 12 points that the Rams scored, and week 17 against the Seahawks, where despite the loss, he was responsible for 13 of the Rams' points.
For the season, Karty ended the year having made 85.3% of his field goals and 88.9% of his extra points with a long of 54 yards while scoring 119 points for the Rams. In what was a historic regular season for the rookie kicker, Karty became the first Rams rookie since the late 1970s to surpass 100 points scored in a campaign, with rookie kicker Frank Corral scoring 118 points in 1978 en route to being both a Pro Bowl and a Second-team All-Pro selection.
While picking up the big win and getting a massive momentum boost in the process, the playoff schedule will start to get very grueling for the Rams, who will travel to Philadelphia for what will most likely be a cold weather game in a very hostile environment.
If they win, they will either travel to Detroit to take on a red-hot Lions team, or they will face a Washington Commanders squad that is in the midst of a Cinderella season.
But whatever path the Rams take, they have shown all year long that they themselves are a team to fear, and with an elite kicker like Karty that they can trust to get three points when needed, it would not be wise to discount the strong talent that resides down in Southern California.