Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay explained the team's decision to release kicker Harrison Mevis less than 24 hours after their 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. McVay stated that while Mevis missed two field goals during the game, including a blocked 48-yard attempt in overtime, he was not solely responsible for the loss. The Rams signed Blake Grupe, a former kicker for the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, off the New York Jets practice squad to replace Mevis.
McVay emphasized the need for better production from the kicking position, stating, "Ultimately, we need better production and that’s what we’re hoping to get out of Blake. He wasn’t exclusively the reason. This is the greatest team sport." He acknowledged that the special teams unit as a whole contributed to the defeat, saying, "It was that unit that cost us an opportunity to win the game. That wasn’t the reason that we didn’t win exclusively."
Despite the decision, McVay praised Mevis for his contributions last season, noting, "I thought he was a rock for us last year when we obviously struggled in that area." Mevis had a successful previous season, converting 12 of 13 regular season field goals and going a perfect 6-for-6 in the playoffs. However, this season he has struggled, making only five of nine attempts for a 55.6 percent success rate, the lowest in the NFL. Grupe, who had an 11-for-11 record with Indianapolis last season, is expected to bring more consistency to the position, although McVay acknowledged that merely changing kickers may not resolve the underlying issues with the special teams unit.