LOS ANGELES — On the opening play of the season, Rams kicker Josh Karty’s kickoff landed at the 14-yard line and spun end-over-end, picking up speed as it whizzed past the Houston Texans return man and into the end zone.
As that returner grabbed the ball and took a knee, Karty looked to the sideline, arm raised, ready to celebrate a successful outcome in his first attempt at the NFL’s latest version of the dynamic kickoff.
“I was able to practice a couple times in the preseason, got better kind of the more I did it,” Karty said. “To have the first play of the year be a touchback minor, that was a lot of fun. Definitely had the adrenaline going a little bit.”
The tweak to the kickoff rule this offseason moved a touchback from the 30- to the 35-yard line, a difference that was unpalatable for most teams as 75.6% of kickoffs were returned in Week 1, per ESPN.
But there was a loophole in the new rule. If a ball first fell into the landing zone – between the 20-yard line and the goal line – and then rolled into the end zone, a “touchback minor” would be placed at the 20-yard line instead of the 35.
Once the new rule passed, Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn and assistant Ben Kotwica began examining the best ways to kick the ball and where to try and place it against one or two returners, then putting those ideas to practice with Karty and punter Ethan Evans.
“We just started trying a bunch of different techniques, trying to get the ball to do some weird things, bounce on the ground and give our guys a chance to let loose,” Karty said. “I’ve been doing the same kick for a few months now, trying to make it pretty consistent.”
For old-school kickoffs, the goal was increased hangtime and distance. Most special teams coordinators stuck with that approach last season even with the new dynamic kickoff, which is why Evans and his cannon of a leg handled kickoff duties.
But with this year’s adjustment to the rules, Karty is looking for lower hangtimes and shorter distances. He compares it to a squib kick that comes off the ankle.
“To me, it’s like trying to hit a knuckle ball,” Karty said. “It’s not spinning, it’s kind of doing random motion and that’s why it’s tough to catch. And that’s also why it’s tough to field when it bounces because it can go any direction. They were all three different kicks last game, and that’s the unpredictability of it. It’s hard for the returners to know where it’s going to go when I can only give my best guess of where it’s going to go.”
Karty got three attempts at it in the Rams’ 14-9 victory over the Texans. Two bounced in the landing zone and then into the end zone for touchback minors, while the third bounced awkwardly enough that it was difficult for the Texans to field, resulting in an 11-yard return to the Houston 23.
“I thought for the first time that we did it in live action, it was three excellent executions,” head coach Sean McVay said. “I think that’s going to be a big play that you want to make sure you’re intentional about, acknowledging the importance of it. We were 10 yards ahead of them in terms of the starting field position off of that play. We were at the 31, they were at the 21, and a tremendous amount of credit goes to Josh and his ability to hit those the way that he did.”
Injury report
Rams guards Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson did not practice Wednesday with their ankle sprains, though McVay did not close the door on either of them playing Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Tight end Colby Parkinson (AC sprain) did not practice Wednesday.
Right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) was given what McVay described as a “veteran rest day” on Wednesday with the expectation that he will practice Thursday.
Tight end Davis Allen (knee) was limited on Wednesday, but McVay said he is making good progress.
Wide receiver Davante Adams had a veteran rest day on Wednesday.
Originally Published:
