The Los Angeles Rams enter Sunday’s Week 7 road game against the Las Vegas Raiders with special teams no longer a side issue. Rams kicker Brandon McManus inherits the job after Blake Grupe (knee) suffered a season-ending ACL injury, and the unit’s mistakes have become too frequent for a 2-4 team already dealing with major absences.
Locked On Rams host Travis Rodgers called special teams the most consequential matchup of the week. He declared Los Angeles cannot overcome another game of missed kicks, blocked kicks, coverage failures or damaging returns. Rodgers said the Rams rank last in the league on special teams and described the problem as a long-running weakness rather than a one-game malfunction.
Rodgers pointed to the instability at kicker as the clearest example. He said the Rams have missed or had 81 kicks blocked during Sean McVay’s tenure, and Grupe’s injury has forced another change. McManus steps into a unit that has given opponents return opportunities and failed to consistently protect its own kick operation.
That vulnerability gives Las Vegas a tangible route to tilt the game. Locked On Raiders host Qiant Myers said the Raiders put unusual emphasis on special teams under coordinator Joe DeCamillis, and Las Vegas Raiders running back and returner Dylan Laube gives them a player capable of exploiting loose coverage. Myers noted Buffalo opened last week’s Raiders game with a 40-yard return, the kind of field-position swing the Rams can ill afford to allow again.
The Rams still have enough offensive talent to score quickly behind quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua, but Rodgers warned that field position and pressure could quickly change the equation. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is the matchup Rodgers most wants to avoid, particularly because he believes Stafford has been less effective when opponents force him off his spot.
Rodgers framed the larger test as urgent. He criticized Los Angeles’ effort, game plan and execution in last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, calling it McVay’s most disappointing game with the franchise. The Rams do not need perfection at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 25, but they need a cleaner operation in the game phase that has repeatedly made every other mistake harder to survive.
A win would not erase the Rams’ larger issues, but it would stop the slide and show that McVay’s team can play a complete, disciplined game under pressure. Another special teams breakdown would make a difficult Week 7 matchup even more precarious.
Rams News and Notes
– Rams defensive linemen Poona Ford (arm/triceps) and Kobie Turner (groin) are unavailable, leaving the front without two key interior contributors. Ford is out for the season. Rodgers said that places a larger workload on Aaron Donald and Byron Young against a Raiders offense determined to establish its running game.
– Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) is expected to miss multiple weeks, narrowing the passing-game options behind Nacua. Rodgers questioned who can consistently fill that void, naming Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield and Tutu Atwell among the receivers with an opportunity to earn a larger role.
More on the Los Angeles Rams
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- The 2-4 Rams Are Still Top 12 on Both Sides of the Ball by EPA Per Play
- Brittany Mahomes Makes Personal Comment on Matthew Stafford’s Wife
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