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Los Angeles Rams kicker Joshua Karty had a strong rookie year, making 84% of his 34 field goal attempts, which was the 13th-best rate for anyone who attempted at least 25 field goals last season.
This year, the 23-year-old is off to a rougher start, as he’s made 75% of his field goals and 85.7% of his extra points, including making one of his two field goals and two of his three extra points against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.
Karty’s issues are becoming a real issue for the Rams, as the four points that the kicker couldn’t deliver would’ve given Los Angeles the win.
On Friday, ESPN talk show host and former NFL punter Pat McAfee offered an interesting theory for Karty’s kicking woes while examining the blocked extra point against San Francisco.
“I’m really worried about Karty,” McAfee said. “I think Karty is an incredible talent, but I think them having him hit that squib that he hits, obviously, that things dies early last night, which the roll of the dice with a squib, especially this happening in overtime, not great news to have a 40-yard line start. With the squib, that is the thing. You can’t control the distance as well. That thing might nose dive early…Karty hitting those fat balls, those knuckleballs on kickoffs has been very good for the Rams. It’s gotten a lot of attention. It’s gotten a lot of positive hype for this new kickoff…I don’t like kickers kicking fat balls all of the time… He’s seemingly hitting fat balls and fat balls go left… I think him hitting a fat ball every single time he hits a kickoff isn’t necessarily, for me, the greatest thing mentally.”
NFL games are decided by such slim margins that the Rams can’t afford to have Karty missing these kicks or having them blocked so frequently. They may have to adjust things with their kickoffs to have more success on field goals and extra points.
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