For Rams’ Matt Gay, last-second heroics seemed meant to be

Now it can be told. For a moment there, in the frantic final minute in Tampa, kicker Matt Gay thought the Rams would not need his services again Sunday.

“I thought Coop was going to score,” Gay said of watching wide receiver Cooper Kupp haul in quarterback Matthew Stafford’s 44-yard pass behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense. “I thought he was going to walk it off for a touchdown. I was a little hyped watching him catch it.”

When Kupp was tackled at the Bucs’ 12-yard line, Gay regained his composure in time to knock a 30-yard kick just inside the left upright as time expired to give the Rams a 30-27 win in the divisional round playoff game.

On Monday, back in L.A., Gay told the story of the victory that put the Rams in this Sunday’s NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium.

The split-second when he thought Kupp was going all the way might have been the only time the kicker didn’t feel as if his own last-second heroics were meant to be.

He had made two field goals earlier, from 26 yards to give the Rams a 3-0 lead and a 40-yarder to make it 20-3 at halftime. But in the peculiar wind patterns of Raymond James Stadium, he came up short on a 47-yarder that would have extended a 27-13 lead to a safe three-score margin with 6:31 to play. Back on the sideline, teammates kept his head and heart in the game.

“Teammates came up and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to need you.’ The (long) snapper, Matt Orzech, kind of came to me and said, ‘It’s going to come down to you,’” Gay said. “It was time to let that one (miss) go and lock in to the opportunity that’s going to come.”

Few bounce back from misfires as well as the 27-year-old former All-America kicker from Utah.

Cut by the Bucs a year after they took him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, and languishing on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad, Gay was signed by the Rams in November 2020 and has taken full advantage of the second chance. He was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2021 while missing just two field-goal attempts all season. After the first miss, he made 23 in a row.

In a season and a half with the Rams, Gay has twice kicked game-winners against the Bucs, almost as if it’s personal.

“I wouldn’t say personal, but there is a chip on your shoulder,” Gay said. “When it comes down to it, it’s nice to get that moment and that opportunity. It’s more about helping this team win than anything proven to them (the Bucs).”

Until Sunday, Gay hadn’t been called on to try a game-winning field goal this season, and he had talked about craving those opportunities.

The chances of Gay getting the opportunity Sunday didn’t look good when the Rams got the ball back at their own 25 with 42 seconds left, Rams fumbles having helped Tom Brady and the Bucs score 24 points in a row and tie the game, 27-27.

On the sideline, Gay warmed up in the kicking net while watching the action on the stadium video board, ready to go in if called upon. After a sack, Stafford connected with Kupp for 20 yards to the Rams’ 44 on second down, then he caught Tampa Bay in a blitz and hit Kupp with the game-saving bomb. Stafford spiked the ball to stop the clock with four seconds left, and on came Gay.

“We’ve got guys on our team that can make plays, so you’re confident in their ability to get you down there,” Gay said. “It was Staf to Coop, Staf to Coop. They got us in position.

“Unbelievable play by those guys. You can’t say enough about how good those guys are. They did their thing, and then I was able to go down and help us get a win.”

Rams coach Sean McVay had the same thought that Gay’s teammates did after his earlier miss.

“That was a very uncharacteristic thing,” McVay said. “I did feel like there was going to be another opportunity for him to be able to respond, and I’m really grateful that he did.”

Gay sounded almost pleased that the miss created the need for the dramatic ending.

“The game unfolded the way it did,” he said. “There’s a reason for everything.”

PERSONNEL FILE

McVay said Joe Noteboom, who started at left tackle in place of injured Andrew Whitworth, strained a pectoral muscle during the Rams’ game-winning drive at Tampa Bay.

While Noteboom’s injury is monitored, Whitworth (knee) is on track to return to action against the 49ers, as is safety Taylor Rapp (concussion), McVay indicated.

With Rapp out and safety Jordan Fuller on IR, Eric Weddle played 61 snaps (85%) against the Bucs in his second game back from a two-year retirement.

Inside linebacker Ernest Jones (ankle) could come off IR and play Sunday after missing four games.

Injury apparently wasn’t a factor in running back Sony Michel getting only one carry for 4 yards while Cam Akers ran 24 times for 48 against the Buccaneers.