PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Call him Karty B — as in, blocked.
Joshua Karty went from automatic for the Rams — four straight field goals, including a 51-yarder — to being barely able to get his kicks off the ground.
The Philadelphia Eagles blocked two straight attempts by Karty on Sunday. The first set up Philly's drive for a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and the second came on the final play of the game with the Rams trailing by one. Jordan Davis knocked Karty's potential game-winner to the ground,
scooped the ball and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown to seal Los Angeles' 33-26 loss.
The Rams blew a 19-point, third-quarter lead, and that can't all be blamed on Karty. But there was clearly something wrong with his approach on the final two kicks.
As with a pitcher tipping his pitches, the Eagles noticed some tells.
“The way we talked about it on the sideline, we knew especially off his last kick, we knew his angle, we knew his launch point,” Davis said. “We just hit the gap, put our hands up at the right time and I saw the ball on the ground at the right time.”
Karty didn't attempt a field goal in the season opener and went 2 for 2 in last week's win over Tennessee. He entered the game 31 of 36 overall in his two-year career with the Rams.
“Whether we found a way to make that kick or whether we ended up having that result right there, we’ve got to be able to keep it moving,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “We’ve got a lot of football left and that’s what you’re going to see.”
The Rams led 26-21 midway through the fourth when Jalen Carter blocked Karty’s 36-yard try, and Jalen Hurts then led the Eagles on a 17-play, 91-yard touchdown drive. That left 1:48 on the clock for Matthew Stafford, who led the Rams into position for Karty’s 44-yard attempt with 3 seconds left.
McVay and Stafford each lamented other blown opportunities — such as failures to convert on third down — that led to yet another loss to the Eagles.
Philly beat the Rams twice last season, the second time in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs at Lincoln Financial Field.
“I don’t think we were thinking about last year at all, to be honest with you,” Stafford said. “Just in the moment in this game, they had a chance, drove down, and they did a nice job on special teams two times there in the fourth. So there’s so many plays throughout the game that can affect it.”
Stafford threw for 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns. After Hurts was strip-sacked by Jared Verse in the third quarter, Stafford hit Kyren Williams for a 10-yard TD that made it 26-7. Karty booted field goals of 51, 28, 33 and 46 yards to help the Rams take a 19-7 lead into halftime.
“I mean, we’ve all been a part of enough NFL games that the scoreboard doesn’t really matter until the end of the game,” Stafford said. “We had our chance at the end of the game and it didn’t go our way.”
Stafford threw an interception on the Rams' first drive. Zack Baun picked off Stafford's pass, leading to an Eagles touchdown.
“You don’t want to start the game with the turnover like I did,” Stafford said. “Some physical throws that I would love to have back early in the game and on third down so I can be better for sure.”
The Rams were 3 of 10 on third down and failed to convert their only fourth-down attempt.
The Rams failed to open 3-0 for the first time since 2021 and lost an early measuring stick on a schedule full of long road trips for LA.
“Here’s what we’ve learned about ourselves. When you’re 2-0, you don’t learn about anybody," said McVay, who coached a week after he tore the plantar fascia in his left foot. “But when you do have a loss like this, I want to see what we’re about. I know what we’re about. I know we’re going to respond. Can’t let the Eagles beat us twice.”
The Rams can learn a little more about themselves next week when they host unbeaten Indianapolis.
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