THOUSAND OAKS — Help for the Rams’ kicking game is on the way, but exactly when Kai Forbath will get his chance is up in the air.
Forbath, the former Notre Dame High (Sherman Oaks) and UCLA kicker whom the Rams signed on Tuesday, won’t be able to clear the league’s COVID-19 protocols and join the team until Sunday.
That makes it likely that struggling rookie Samuel Sloman will still be kicking for the Rams (4-2) in their Monday night game against the Chicago Bears (5-1) — with Forbath, a nine-year NFL veteran, at least figuratively looking over his shoulder.
Rams coach Sean McVay said Thursday the staff wanted to “evaluate” both Forbath and Sloman.
“We want to see some more consistency,” McVay said. “It doesn’t mean it’s over for Sam. We want to continue to evaluate him, but getting Kai in here was something we wanted to explore as well.”
Sloman, the Rams’ seventh-round draft pick from Miami (Ohio), has failed on three extra-point attempts, getting one blocked in the 24-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday.
“We know Sam is doing everything he can to make sure those go in, and hopefully from here on out they will,” Rams quarterback Jared Goff said.
Sloman has missed a pair of 53-yard field-goal tries and made none longer than his 42-yarder against the Niners. And he displeased the coaches with a mental error when he didn’t put a fourth-quarter kickoff where they wanted it in that game.
Sloman has yet to be tested by last-second field-goal pressure. But the clock may run out on his Rams career before they give him that chance.
“Sam’s going to practice, and we’re going to continue to evaluate and try to put him in a position to have him ready to go (Monday),” McVay said.
As for why they chose Forbath, McVay said, “Just experience.”
Forbath, 33, a Santa Monica native who was consensus All-America in the third of his four seasons at UCLA, is on the Rams’ 53-man active roster after being signed off the Bears’ practice squad.
The Bears were his ninth NFL team, and the third that signed him but never used him in a game. Forbath and McVay knew each other when they were both in Washington, Forbath’s first professional stop. And the kicker made an impression on the coach in the Dallas Cowboys’ win over the Rams last December in Arlington, Texas, going 3 for 3 on field goals of 42, 42 and 50 yards, and 5 for 5 on PATs.
“He was automatic,” McVay said of Forbath, who has made 86.8% of his NFL field-goal attempts, a figure that would rank 18th in the league this season.
Their interwoven history continued: The Cowboys cut Forbath in August because he lost a training-camp competition for the kicking job with Greg Zuerlein, whom the Rams didn’t re-sign, which is how they ended up with Sloman.
Unable to beat out Zuerlein in Dallas, Forbath soon might get the chance to — in effect — replace him in L.A.
Robinson ready?
McVay said defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson could be activated for the first time as a Ram before Monday’s game.
Robinson went through his first full Rams practice Thursday at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. He has been on the non-football injury list since a medical problem, reported to be a cardiovascular condition, was discovered in a pre-training camp exam. The former Detroit Lion signed as a free agent in April.
“We feel like he fits the style of defensive lineman we’re looking for. We feel like he gives us some versatility, some size and some experience,” Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said.
“It’s good to have him back, and what a great story, the way he’s competed to get back. It’s never easy when you’re going through something like that where there’s a lot of unknowns.”
With Aaron Donald playing 84.8% of snaps and Michael Brockers 66.5% this season, Robinson figures to start out competing for work against Morgan Fox (38%), Sebastian Joseph-Day (37.8%) and Greg Gaines (21.8%).
Notes
Goff said practice was “a little more urgent today (Thursday)” as the Rams try to bounce back from their loss to San Francisco. Goff said the team’s poor performance last Sunday was “uncharacteristic, something that we don’t expect to do again.” … The Rams have reported no serious injuries this week, but running back Darrel Henderson (thigh) and tight end Tyler Higbee (hand) didn’t practice Thursday. … When the Bears beat the Rams 15-6 in 2018, Staley was a Chicago coach. Now that Staley is L.A.’s defensive coordinator, how much does he talk about that? “He’s pretty diplomatic,” McVay said. “He’s just got all his teach tapes and (video) cut-ups spliced with that game in there.” … Right tackle Rob Havenstein on left tackle Andrew Whitworth’s performance at age 38: “I think he’s playing at the highest level that I’ve seen in my four years with him. I’m just looking forward to the four more he’s got.” … The Rams said they’ll wear their blue jerseys and yellow pants Monday night. They wore that combination once before this season, in the win over the New York Giants.
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