In one week, the Rams will have to trim their roster from 80 players to only 53. Among those 27 cuts are likely to be two kickers – we just don’t know which ones yet.
Saturday’s scrimmage at SoFi Stadium is probably each kicker’s last big chance to impress the coaching staff, and the Rams aren’t going to make their jobs easy. To make the competition more interesting and to test all three kickers, the Rams used SoFi Stadium’s sound system to their advantage.
On a 43-yard attempt by Sam Sloman, Austin MacGinnis and Lirim Hajrullahu, the Rams blasted weird noises over the speakers to distract the kickers.
The sounds ranged from Chewbacca’s iconic yell, the Twilight Zone theme song and Darth Vader noises – presumably the unsettling music that plays when he comes on screen.
Kickers come on for a pair of 43-yard field goal attempts each, facing loud and very distracting music/noise.
MacGinnis: 2/2
Sloman: 1/2
Hajrullahu: 2/2
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) August 29, 2020
The Rams' 3 kicker candidates are trying 43-yard FGs with the SoFi stadium music turned up super loud. They've played the Twilight Zone and Dragnet themes along with Darth Vader and Chewbacca sounds, but most of the kicks have been true.
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) August 29, 2020
A first-team drive stalls. For a set of field goal tries by the three kicker candidates, #Rams add to the tension by cranking up music, including the "Twilight Zone" theme. Lirim Hajrullahu and Austin MacGinnis make both of theirs from 43; Sam Sloman misses to the left.
— Kevin Modesti (@KevinModesti) August 29, 2020
Once again, Hajrullahu seems like the most consistent and reliable kicker of the bunch, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s the one the Rams wind up keeping.
McVay hasn’t ruled out keeping two, or stashing one on the practice squad, but ideally, he only wants to have one on the team.
Here’s how each kicker started the day through four attempts.
Including earlier PATs, so far:
MacGinnis: 3/4
Sloman: 3/4
Hajrullahu: 4/4 https://t.co/tqfezhv14F
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) August 29, 2020
