Los Angeles Rams kicker Joshua Karty has been named the NFC Special Teams player of the month for December and January, the team announced Thursday morning.
The Rams had an incredible final month of the season, and Karty played a huge role in that. L.A. went 5-1, with their only loss coming to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 when the team rested a majority of their starters.
Karty went 13-for-13 on field goals in the six games and 11-for-13 on extra points. Of his 13 made field goals, three were above 50 yards. He accounted for 50 of the team’s 134 points. His incredible month contributed to what was a historic rookie season for the Rams’ kicker.
He passed Frank Corral in 1978 for the most points ever by a Rams kicker in their rookie season. He scored 119 points on the year compared to Corral’s 118. He tied that same season by Corral in most field goals made. He made 29 field goals, with 13 coming in the final month.
Even more impressively, Karty’s 119 points finished just one point behind Eric Dickerson for the most points by any rookie in Rams franchise history.
In Week 18 against the Seahawks, Karty became the second player in Rams franchise history to hit two field goals of 55+ yards in the same game. Greg Zuerlein achieved that feat in Week 4 of the 2012 NFL season in St. Louis.
Finally, Karty recorded a career-long 58-yard field goal in that Week 18 loss to the Seahawks. That ties the second-longest made field goal by a rookie this season. It’s also the second-longest made field goal by a Rams rookie behind Zuerlein’s 60-yard field goal, which he did twice in 2012.
One of the most important things for a team entering the playoffs is having a kicker they feel they can trust. And the Rams undoubtedly have that in Karty after an impressive end to the season.
NFL moving Rams-Vkings postseason game to Arizona
The NFL announced that the Wild Card playoff game between the Rams and Minnesota Vikings has been moved to State Farm Stadium in Arizona, home of the Cardinals, on Monday night.
The league made this decision out of abundance of caution as wildfires continue to destroy parts of Southern California. With the change being made now, the Rams can go to Arizona and get the practice they need to be ready for Monday night’s game against Minnesota. While L.A. is likely losing homefield advantage, the NFL made the decision they thought was best for all parties.
