Johnny Hekker did not take part in the Rams’ scrimmage at SoFi Stadium on Saturday as he was back home attending the birth of his child. As a four-time All-Pro, he didn’t need the extra practice punting anyway.
However, his absence did impact another phase of special teams: field goals.
Hekker is the holder on kick attempts and has been for years. The Rams are trying to sort out their kicking competition, so every aspect of the field goal operation matters. Hekker is an excellent holder, but his backup isn’t too shabby, either.
Cooper Kupp took Hekker’s place for a brief while before leaving the game himself due to soreness in his leg, and he joked about it with Hekker on Twitter afterwards.
You make it look so good @JHekker, thought I'd give it a try. 😂 pic.twitter.com/sWzcyGnNTV
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) September 1, 2020
After Kupp left, it was up to John Wolford to hold for the rest of the kick attempts. It’s unclear if Hekker’s absence played a role in the kickers’ struggles, but none of the three really stood out in a big way. Austin MacGinnins had the best day, going 6-for-8, while Lirim Hajrullahu and Sam Sloman each made five of their eight attempts.
