Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua, the Los Angeles Rams have a star-studded roster filled with superstars. The team has completed their roster, except for one position: a better punt returner.
The Los Angeles Rams’ One Remaining Weakness That Could Derail Their Super Bowl Run
Rams’ Special Teams Issues
Since 2020, the Los Angeles Rams have had the worst special teams unit. Ranking last, the Rams had a collective Expected Points Added (EPA) of -169.68. Last season, they finished second-to-last behind the New Orleans Saints with a -28.4 EPA.
Last season, the Rams had several special teams miscues that contributed to losses. In Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jordan Davis blocked a field goal that resulted in a loss to the Eagles. In Week 5, the Rams left four points on the board after missing a field goal and an extra point, ultimately losing to the San Francisco 49ers by three.
New Special Teams Coordinators
This offseason, the Los Angeles Rams hired Bubba Ventrone, the Cleveland Browns’ former special teams coordinator from 2023-2025. While the Browns special teams wasn’t much better – ranking near the bottom of the league for the last two years – Ventrone is an improvement over the previous special teams coordinators.
Ventrone spent most of his NFL playing career primarily on special teams, which helped shape the coach he is today. He was even the captain of the Browns special teams unit, which was No.1 in the NFL in 2010. Head coach Sean McVay knows Ventrone’s value and just how important he can be to the team.
“I think the first thing is I remember watching him as a player, and then he transitions into coaching,” McVay said. “There’s an energy. There’s a toughness, mentally and physically, that he provides. There’s a style of play philosophically with how he believes in coaching, what his units have looked like, where he foundationally learned what he knows about this game. There are a lot of guys that he’s come from that have had a ton of success as teams coordinators. Obviously, being able to play under and learn under Coach Belichick. He had tremendous success in Indianapolis.”
The Los Angeles Rams also hired Kyle Hoke as an assistant special teams coordinator. Hoke was Ventrone’s assistant last season in Cleveland. Before joining Ventrone, Hoke coached at eight different college programs from 2012-2014, holding various defensive coaching positions. McVay has reportedly expressed his excitement about adding Ventrone and Hoke to the team.
Rams’ Special Teams Issues Last Season
Last season, McVay fired Chase Blackburn, the Los Angeles Rams special teams coordinator at the time, after a Sunday night collapse against the Seattle Seahawks. In that game, the Seahawks completed a comeback starting with a punt return touchdown from side receiver Rashid Shaheed. After the game, Blackburn was replaced by Ben Kotwica, but the damage had already been done. The Rams lost in the NFC Championship game due to a bobbled punt return which resulted in a turnover and an immediate touchdown for the Seahawks. After the touchdown, the Seahawks held on to win 31-27.
The addition of Shaheed made a huge difference for the Seahawks during their Super Bowl run. The speedster returned several touchdowns and even became an important piece of their offense as a serious threat. The versatility is something the Rams lack in their roster.
After last season, McVay made it a priority to upgrade the unit. While it has been improved, the team missed an opportunity to sign a capable punt returner. Even with a new special teams coordinator, it will be hard to make the unit any better than last season. All it takes is another bobbled punt for the Los Angeles Rams to lose and waste a perfect year to raise the Lombardi trophy.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
