Sean McVay breaks down Tutu Atwell’s reduced role and Rams’ struggles in return game
For the first time this season, we saw Ben Skowronek return kicks for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7 versus the Detroit Lions. I’m likely not the only one who believes that Skowronek isn’t the answer at kick returner moving forward.
While Tutu Atwell was expected to handle kick and punt return duties this season, Sean McVay iterated why the rookie wideout is seeing his role reduced and how the Rams are still searching for a successful combination on special teams.
“We didn’t really get many opportunities in the punt return phase. I think the kick return – I don’t care who is returning yesterday, we didn’t block well at all. Whether it was Ben Skowronek or anybody else, we didn’t get a hat on a hat. We didn’t execute the fundamentals and the techniques that we work,” McVay said Monday. “Guys have to play better, in that phase in particular. Really, TuTu hadn’t had a whole lot of experience doing it in general. He’s a young player. That’s kind of where we’re at with it, but certainly the return game is not something that we feel great about where we’re at. We’re going to continue to work it.”
When asked specifically what caused the Rams to pull Atwell from his return role, McVay said, “We just felt like those guys were better candidates given the circumstances,” referring to Skowronek and Buddy Howell.
Atwell has totaled 12 returns this season (seven on punt, five on kickoff) for 139 yards. Coming into the NFL, Atwell didn’t have much experience as a returner, returning just four punts for 84 yards and zero kick returns in college. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Atwell still isn’t adjusted to returning punts or kicks in the NFL.
However, it does warrant the question of why Atwell was picked in the first place. The rookie second-round pick out of Louisville has only played 10 snaps on offense and he’s now absent from the return game. It doesn’t help that guys like Creed Humphrey and Terrace Marshall were still on the board when Atwell was selected.
With injuries to Jake Funk, Raymond Calais and Xavier Jones, the Rams are still seeking answers in the return game entering Week 8. And to make matters worse, their explosive rookie Atwell seems to be losing returning duties to other members of the roster right now.
List
3 inside linebackers the Rams could target following trade of Kenny Young
