Rams’ special teams should be kicking themselves

THOUSAND OAKS — After coaching peculiar teams for much than 30 years with 7 NFL teams, Joe DeCamillis tin gag astir however it works.

“When thing unsmooth happens, that’s erstwhile I’m asked in,” DeCamillis said arsenic helium started his archetypal property league since helium was introduced arsenic the Rams’ peculiar teams coordinator successful January. “Same each over. Same each over.”

The Rams person small other to laughter astir successful the kicking, punting and instrumentality portion of the crippled truthful acold this season.

And things could get truly superior if the Rams don’t spot betterment successful that country erstwhile they look the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ beardown peculiar teams successful the conflict of 2-0 clubs Sunday day astatine SoFi Stadium.

The Rams’ tract extremity and PAT kicking has been perfect, actually. But kickoff sum has allowed returns of 50 yards to the Chicago Bears and 41 yards to the Indianapolis Colts, and punting has been mediocre successful fewer chances. The punt instrumentality squad blew a accidental for a runback during the Rams’ triumph implicit the Colts.

They astir apt didn’t spot the drama successful the botched play that went for a Colts touchdown successful the 4th quarter, erstwhile the shot from Rams agelong snapper Moe Howard deed teammate Chevy Chase successful the limb and eluded punter Benny Hill successful the extremity zone. Real names: Matt Orzech, Nick Scott and Johnny Hekker.

The mixup started erstwhile Scott shifted into a caller blocking presumption 1 measurement to his near conscionable arsenic Orzech made the snap.

“I’ve ne'er seen it (before), and I don’t privation to ever spot it again,” DeCamillis said Thursday earlier practice, calling it an “execution issue” that tin beryllium corrected. “Obviously (fans are) going to retrieve that play. I’m going to retrieve that play for a agelong time. My woman won’t fto maine hide it.”

DeCamillis, 56, who won a Super Bowl arsenic peculiar teams coordinator with the 2015 Denver Broncos, was successful his 2nd sting with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier the Rams hired him to regenerate John Bonamego coaching a portion that ranked 30th successful the 32-team NFL successful 2020 successful FootballOutsiders.com’s analytics.

After 2 games successful 2021, the aforesaid analytics fertile the Rams’ peculiar teams 32nd. The Bucs are fourth.

“We request to beryllium better,” Coach Sean McVay said this week portion expressing assurance successful DeCamillis.

Said DeCamillis: “I’m not pleased with wherever we’re at, successful definite instances.”

Among the issues, punt squad slapstick aside:

• While rookie Jake Funk has been coagulated connected kickoff returns, rookie Tutu Atwell is inactive learning to instrumentality punts. Trusty Cooper Kupp has been sent retired to just drawback oregon fto punts spell if they are apt to onshore wrong the 10-yard line.

“I’m pleased with wherever he’s at,” DeCamillis said of Atwell.

• On Atwell’s 1 accidental for a return, a missed artifact by rookie Robert Rochell fto the Colts’ George Odum tackle him immediately. No different Colts were wrong 10 yards.

“That is truly the play that I’m arsenic irritated with arsenic the punt (snap), to beryllium honorable with you, due to the fact that that’s a location telephone if we get the 1 artifact the mode we’re expected to,” DeCamillis said.

• Those opening kickoff returns, possibly a byproduct of the Rams’ youthful peculiar teams.

“You conscionable person to larn to play together,” DeCamillis said. “I deliberation we’ll reap the benefits down the road.”

• Hekker, coming disconnected a career-low 45.6 yards per punt successful 2020, is averaging 39.8 connected 4 tries aft battling COVID-19 and hardly beating retired Corey Bojorquez successful the preseason.

The agleam broadside is that kicker Matt Gay is 4 for 4 connected tract goals and 7 for 7 connected PATs and brings a bully vibe into Sunday against Tampa Bay, having made his Rams debut with a game-winning tract extremity against the Bucs past November.

Gay said DeCamillis, with his 33 years of NFL acquisition and Super Bowl pedigree, is the close manager for the challenge.

“He brings truthful overmuch vigor and conscionable passionateness for peculiar teams that everyone buys into however important peculiar teams tin be,” Gay said Thursday. “They enactment truthful hard. It’s conscionable a substance of a fewer intelligence things, and we’re going to get it right.”

DeCamillis said he’s “hardened” to peculiar teams’ utmost highs and lows. What’s incorrect volition crook right, helium said. Maybe successful a large way.

“We played a horrible crippled against the Rams successful ’17 erstwhile I was successful Jacksonville,” DeCamillis said. “Next week aft that, we scored a touchdown to assistance america triumph the game. Next week aft that, we scored a touchdown to assistance america triumph the game.

“You’ve conscionable got to support chopping wood and support working. If the process is right, and guys are preparing successful the close way, you’ve got a chance.”

NOTES

McVay was backmost connected the tract Thursday aft missing signifier Wednesday with a tummy bug. “Feel good, overmuch amended today. Good to beryllium backmost retired present with the guys,” helium said. … Running backmost Darrell Henderson, who injured rib cartilage against the Colts, was retired of signifier again. McVay said it was excessively soon to accidental if Sony Michel volition commencement against the Bucs. “But you tin expect to spot Sony. Whether he’s taking the archetypal snap, oregon however galore snaps helium plays, is benignant of inactive to beryllium determined,” McVay said. … McVay said extracurricular linebacker Leonard Floyd’s ankle is responding good to treatment. But Floyd participated lone successful idiosyncratic drills. “It’s benignant of a nagging (injury),” the manager said. “We’re conscionable trying to get a grasp and get a existent clasp connected it truthful it doesn’t linger passim the year.” … In Las Vegas, the Bucs continued to gully astir of the bets Thursday. The enactment remained Bucs by 1 oregon 1½ for the 3rd time successful a row.