The Rams lost in overtime on “Monday Night Football” and the Mannings are passing some of the blame to the officiating crew.
With the score nodded at 34-34, Rams kicker Harrison Mevis lined up for a game-winning 48-yard field goal when the clock randomly stopped ahead of the attempt.
“There’s no time outs why is the clocked stopped?” Peyton Manning said on the “Manningcast” alternate broadcast of the game. “The referees are icing him. That’s nice. No explanation.”
Mevis would line up for the field goal and it would be blocked by star defensive lineman Greg Rousseau to keep Buffalo alive.
Josh Allen would then lead the Bills down the field for a game-winning field goal of their own to win 37-34.
Peyton wasn’t the only one upset about the play. Rams coach Sean McVay is seen running down the sideline to speak to the officiating crew to figure out why the clock was stopped.
Though McVay did not speak about it postgame, instead, calling out his special teams unit for being “not even close to good enough.”
“I’m sick that we came up short and I’ll be regretting kicking that and not having a better call to be able to go for it on third down and go to fourth or whatever it was. And that’s on me,” McVay said.
McVay added that he would be “evaluating everything about the kicking unit,” perhaps hinting that Mevis’ is on a short leash in Los Angeles as he also missed a kick in regulation having gone 0-for-2 on the night.
The Rams are lucky to not be 1-4 after they previously beat the Eagles in a game that they barely squeaked out after being down by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The Rams did get a strong performance out of Puka Nacua as he has been battling an injury for most of the season.
They are in third place in a crowded NFC West where they are behind the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks and chasing the undefeated 49ers.
They have a cakewalk next few games on paper, though, facing the Cardinals next week, followed by the Raiders, Chargers, Commanders and Cardinals again.
