The Los Angeles Rams entered Week 6 ranked 32nd in special teams expected points added, surrendering minus-0.8 EPA per game through five weeks. That number sits below every other NFL club and marks the fourth time since 2018 that a McVay-coached unit has finished bottom-five. The Rams lost their wild-card berth last season by one game. The math is clean.
Special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn is in his second season running the unit. Before him, Joe DeCamillis held the job for two years and left with the 29th-ranked coverage group. Before DeCamillis, John Fassel coordinated through the Super Bowl LIII run, then departed for Dallas. Fassel's 2018 unit ranked 7th in DVOA; every successor has regressed. McVay has now cycled three coordinators in six years, and the structural deficit remains.
The immediate cost is field position. Opponents are starting drives at their own 28.4-yard line on average after Rams punts and kickoffs, compared to a league median of 26.1 yards. That 2.3-yard gap compounds over seventeen games into roughly fourteen extra first downs surrendered. In a division where the Seahawks and 49ers both employ top-twelve special teams units, the Rams are spotting rivals a possession advantage before the offense touches the ball.
McVay has acknowledged the issue publicly, twice in the last three weeks. That cadence matters. Coordinators survive one public call-out. Two suggests the head coach is building a file. The Rams have a Week 6 bye, then face Seattle twice in four weeks. If the unit surrenders another blocked punt or allows a return past the 35-yard line in either matchup, Blackburn's status enters December on a short clock.
The personnel gap is quantifiable. The Rams rank 31st in average punt distance and have allowed 118 return yards on kickoffs, fourth-worst in the league. Punter Ethan Evans is averaging 44.2 net yards, down from 46.8 last season. Gunner coverage has missed nine tackles through five games, per Pro Football Focus. McVay can replace a coordinator, but the Rams also need to allocate a roster spot to a coverage specialist, something they have not done since trading linebacker Kenny Young in 2021.
The front office will watch two things closely. First, whether McVay begins sitting starters for special teams lapses, a move he has historically avoided. Second, whether general manager Les Snead pulls a player off another NFC club's practice squad before the trade deadline. The Rams claimed linebacker Christian Rozeboom off waivers last October specifically for kickoff coverage; that move came three days after a 106-yard return touchdown in Dallas. Snead moves when the head coach applies pressure.
The bigger question is structural. McVay is a top-three offensive playcaller who has never prioritized special teams in roster construction or coaching budget. His offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur, makes roughly $2 million annually; Blackburn's estimated salary is closer to $500,000, per front-office sources. That gap reflects organizational priority. The Rams have invested $140 million in guaranteed money to Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald over the last three years. They have not drafted a specialist before the sixth round since 2019.
The playoff math is unforgiving. The NFC will likely send three wild-card teams at 10-7 or better. The Rams are 2-3 with games remaining against San Francisco twice, Baltimore, and Buffalo. A 9-8 finish probably leaves them home in January. Special teams cost them an average of 5.6 points per game last season, per Football Outsiders. That translated directly to three losses decided by four points or fewer.
The Rams host Seattle in Week 9. If the unit allows a return touchdown or costs the team field position worth more than three expected points, McVay will start making calls. Coordinators with top-fifteen special teams units rarely leave mid-season, but assistants and analysts circulate. The Rams will look first at candidates with ties to McVay's tree: Kyle Shanahan employs Brian Schneider, whose 49ers unit ranks 9th; the Packers' Rich Bisaccia, a former Raiders head coach, has worked with McVay staffers before. Both are under contract, but the inquiry itself sends a signal.
Blackburn has twelve games to prove the unit can finish middle-of-the-pack. Middle-of-the-pack would be progress. The alternative is January interviews and a fourth coordinator in seven years, with the same roster constraints and the same offensive-first head coach. The Rams have already scheduled a December meeting to review special teams philosophy, per two people familiar with the planning. That meeting was not on the calendar in August.
The takeaway
The Rams' special teams deficit is costing them **0.8 expected points per game**, and McVay has twelve weeks to fix it or replace his coordinator again.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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