and here is why... Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein out for season with back injury
Posted by Michael David Smith on December 20, 2017, 6:46 PM EST
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One of the best teams in the NFL has just lost one of the best kickers in the NFL.
Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein is being placed on injured reserve with a back injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The Rams are signing Sam Ficken to be his replacement.
That’s a huge loss. Zuerlein leads the NFL with 38 field goals this season and is 7-for-8 from 50 yards and beyond. He also leads the NFL with 73 touchbacks on kickoffs, and when he kickoffs have been returned, they’ve been returned for an average of just 20.6 yards.
Ficken, who kicked in college at Penn State, has played in the preseason for the Jaguars and Chiefs but has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. Now the Rams will be counting on him to kick in the regular season and the postseason.