If you've ever wondered what goes into the precise recipe required to execute an NFL field goal, we've got just the thing.
Los Angeles rookie kicker Joshua Karty ("Josh" is fine, by the way) took a deep dive with us this week on Rams Revealed, following an opening month in which he made nine of his first 10 professional attempts, plus all six of his extra points.
But to really get deep in the weeds of kicking, it takes an unfortunate miss – like the Rams 43-yard attempt at Soldier Field in the second quarter of Week 4 – to truly appreciate the magnitude of the operation.
"What's taken for granted is the snapper has a tough job," Karty detailed. "(He's) supposed to succeed every single time, just like the kicker's supposed to make every single field goal. And the holder's supposed to have a good hold every single time."
Those old enough to have enjoyed Ace Ventura: Pet Detective a dozen times understand the essential nature of "laces out." The snap should arrive with the laces pointing at 12 o'clock, in the direction of the uprights. If not, it's the holder's responsibility to fine tune the alignment in a split second.
"It's hard to do, 100 out of 100 times," the North Carolina native summarized, while assuming the blame for the miscue.
"I was a little bit fast on that (miss). I clocked in at about 1.2 seconds flat from the snap to kick, which is a little bit faster than I like to be," Karty described, applying the full force of his Stanford education to the process. "Normally, I'm at about 1.28, so it just gives me a little bit less time to see the ball. So I kind of did that to myself… Yeah, I didn't hit the best hit."
"First miss of my career. Now it's just about bouncing back from it and moving on to the next game."
Karty did bounce back within the game, nailing his chances from 25 yards and 52 yards in the second half at Chicago. He and the Rams are back in action on Sunday at SoFi Stadium to face the Green Bay Packers. The last time the 22-year-old was on his home turf, he delivered a 37-yard game-winner against the rival 49ers.
Rams Revealed presented by Sleep Number is available here, on YouTube, or in audio format wherever you get your podcasts.
