Few positions have more to do with the mental aspect of football like kickers. The pressure of the game’s biggest moments and relying on so many factors out of one’s control has a way of knocking kickers off the mark. When the smallest difference can mean splitting the uprights or failing miserably, confidence is invaluable.
This season, the Los Angeles Rams found themselves in murky waters on special teams. With the position unsettled for most of the offseason, Christopher Dunn was brought in, then Tanner Brown. Neither made the Week 1 roster. They turned to veteran Brett Maher, who lasted less than two months in Los Angeles.
Since then, they’ve relied on young kicker Lucas Havrisik. He had hit four of his five field goal attempts in his first three games. However, he ran into struggles in Week 12, missing both a field goal and an extra point. The next week, he’d miss another field goal, and questions about his job arose.
Ahead of Week 14, the Rams signed long-time Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby to the practice squad. With his replacement in the facility, the pressure was on Havrisik.
He stepped up, hitting all three field goals and two extra points in a rainy 37-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Head coach Sean McVay spoke about his starting kicker after the win.
“I saw a guy respond the way that I would want him to from some adversity, from a challenge where you bring in a guy … I thought he just continued to handle that situation like a pro's pro,” McVay said. “He kicked really well throughout the week and earned the right to be up and active for us on game day and then I thought he delivered in a big way and I think that says a lot about a young guy.”
The Crosby addition easily could’ve shaken him. The football world has seen plenty of kickers go by the wayside after a hot start was stifled by a stretch of adversity. The search for the 32 best kickers on the planet is an imperfect one, and roster turnover is frequent.
Havrisik survived, at least for now. McVay continued to use Sunday as a testament to his character.
“It's easy when things are going well, but when you have a little bit of a challenge, how do you respond? And that's where you really learn the most about people,” McVay said. “And I was super pleased with him. I think that's a true testament to the mental toughness that he has … I was really proud of Lucas.”
Havrisik’s job was confirmed to be safe when Los Angeles cut Crosby on Tuesday.
The Rams can use some of Havrisik’s resilience. After falling to 6-7 in Week 14, they cannot afford to lose any of the next three games. They face the San Francisco 49ers to end the season, and can still make the playoffs with a loss in the finale. But beating the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, and New York Giants is imperative. Going 2-2 down the stretch is a death sentence.
Havrisik will likely be tested in the season’s final month. How he holds up could very well decide the fate of this Rams team.
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