YES, the Rams did tackle Josh Allen sometimes on Monday night in a 37-34 defeat. But not quite enough as he rushed for 121 yards and a score (Rams photo).
By Pete Zarustica
Orange County Tribune
They blamed it on the kicker.
After the Los Angeles Rams’ heartbreaking 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on Monday night, the onus for the defeat – which dropped the team’s record to 2-3 – fell on placekicker Harrison Mavis.
Mavis, who missed two field goals – including one that would have been a game-winner – on Monday, making it four misses in nine three-point attempts so far this season.
The one that really hurt was the one that was blocked at the line of scrimmage, but a miss is a miss.
“I felt like I hit it good,” said Mavis after the game. “That’s all I can tell you.”
Rams coach Sean McVay had his own version of events. The placekicking team – i.e, Mavis – “cost us the game tonight.”
And that cost Mavis his job. The Rams on Tuesday let him go and signed former New Orleans kicker Blake Grupe, lately on the New York Jets practice squad.
While McVay was looking to assign responsibility for the defeat, he might look at how the Rams defended – or failed to defend – against Bills QB Josh Allen, who rushed for 121 yards and one touchdown, while passing for 210 yards and another score.
As the flow of the game went back and forth, it seemed like every Rams’ success was followed by the scrambling Allen bringing his team back.
The new kicker and the Rams will get a chance to forget all that pain next Sunday, when they play against the Arizona Cardinals (1-4).
