Rams lose another kicker to injury in Cardinals game debut

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 18 Oct, 23:19 · Archive

Blake Grupe injured his knee on his first day with the Rams after making a tackle on kickoff coverage.

Blake Grupe made a 44-yard field goal on his opening drive with the Los Angeles Rams against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, then injured his knee on the very next play. Grupe, a 5-foot-7, 150-pound kicker signed from the New York Jets' practice squad, was the last line of defence as Cardinals returner Devin Duvernay broke through the Rams' coverage unit. Grupe lowered his shoulder to force Duvernay out of bounds, but suffered a knee injury in the collision and was ruled doubtful to return.

The injury compounds a difficult stretch for the Rams' special teams. The team had released Harrison Mevis, a 250-pound kicker, after he missed a potential overtime game-winner against Buffalo on Monday. Grupe was brought in as his replacement, but now faces a potential extended absence. Punter Ethan Evans was spotted practising field goals on the sideline and could be pressed into emergency duty.

The Rams have shuffled personnel at kicker, returner and other special teams positions throughout the season, yet coverage breakdowns and field goal failures continue to plague them. Coach Sean McVay acknowledged the instability, citing injuries and roster changes that create a trickle-down effect on special teams performance.

How it is being reported

• Rams kicker Blake Grupe knocks himself out of his debut with a disastrous tackle attemptBlake Grupe nailed a 44-yard field goal on his first drive as the new Los Angeles Rams kicker, then injured his knee on the very next kickoff.Fox News · 18 Oct, 22:52
• Rams’ kicking curse strikes again as new kicker Blake Grupe gets hurtAt this point, somebody might want to check whether the Los Angeles Rams’ special teams unit was built on an ancient burial ground. Because whatever curse has been haunting the Rams’ kicking game apparently followed their newest kicker straight onto the field Sunday afternoon. Blake Grupe, making his Rams debut after replacing Harrison Mevis earlier...New York Post · 18 Oct, 21:50
• Rams shed 100 pounds at kicker, but special teams problems still weigh tonThe Rams swapped 250-pound Harrison Mevis for 150-pound Blake Grupe, but their special teams struggles remain a major concern ahead of Sunday's Cardinals game.New York Post · 17 Oct, 13:00

In this story: Los Angeles Rams · Blake Grupe · Harrison Mevis · Arizona Cardinals · Devin Duvernay · SoFi Stadium · Sean McVay · Ethan Evans

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem