[
theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams finish 29th in 2022 special teams rankings
Cameron DaSilva
February 2, 2023 6:57 am PT
The Rams had one of the best kickers in football this season, but even Matt Gay couldn’t lift the overall play of the special teams unit. It was a rough year for the Rams’ special teamers outside of Gay, and as a result, they once again ranked near the bottom of the league in that phase of the game.
As he does every year, Rick Gosselin ranked every team’s special teams unit and in 2022, the Rams came in at No. 29. These rankings are based on 22 different categories, ranging from kickoff returns to punt coverage to field goals and extra points. Field position is also factored in, and the Rams really struggled in that area.
-
They had the fifth-worst average starting position, while their opponents had the fourth-best in the league. The Rams didn’t have any big returns on special teams, either; Brandon Powell’s longest punt return was just 22 yards and this longest kickoff runback was 34 yards.
Riley Dixon ranked 13th among all punters with a net average of 42 yards, but he downed just 19 of his punts inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt was 67 yards.
Gay was really the only consistent and reliable special teams player. He ranked fourth with a field goal conversion rate of 93.3%, going a perfect 21-for-21 inside 50 yards. He’s a pending free agent, just like Dixon and Powell, but Gay should be a high priority for the Rams.
Last year, the Rams ranked 16th in Gosselin’s poll, but in 2020, they were 30th in the NFL.
