The Los Angeles Rams rallied and surprised the Seattle Seahawks with a 17-16 victory that kept thin postseason hopes alive. In an impressive performance by the Rams defense and an uneven one from the offense, the real standout was punter Ethan Evans.
The Rams selected Evans in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft as they continued their search for a long-term punter since the departure of Johnny Hekker. Evans has been strong all season leading the Rams special teams unit, and had a particularly great performance against the Seahawks.
He was asked to punt the ball five times and crushed the ball each time for an average of 52.6 yards. This earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors:
Can we hear a little commotion for our punter?!
Congrats to @ethanevans2019 on being named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. 👏 pic.twitter.com/5YcQFG00tp
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 22, 2023
Evans has the ninth-highest average yards per punt in the NFL so far this season. And while the Rams special teams unit has not done a remarkable job covering those punts — 22nd in net punt yards — Evans is certainly proving his worth as a drafted punter.
It remains to be seen if Evans is a long-term solution for the Rams at the punter position, but Week 11 showed the type of punter he can be at his best.
Jordan Fuller named 2023 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Nominees
Defensive back Jordan Fuller has been named the Los Angeles Rams’ nominee for the 2023 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. This is the second time Fuller has been nominated for the award by the Rams as he also received that honor in 2021.
The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award was created in 2014 in honor of the late, great Art Rooney Sr., a Pro Football Hall of Famer and founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The award is presented every year to the player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents and integrity in competition.
Fuller undoubtedly demonstrates those qualities in every way and is an excellent choice as the Rams nominee for the award. He was voted as a team captain by his Rams teammates for the second time in only his fourth NFL season.
