Late in overtime, Harrison Mevis knew it would likely come down to him to keep the Rams' season alive. But as the offense drove into field goal against the Bears, Mevis kept things in perspective.
"My thought process is just keep it simple. I have the easiest job out here," Mevis said. "I get to kick the ball and they get to do all the hard running and blocking and passing."
That was Mevis' mindset as 60,000 fans rose to their feet, booing and hissing him during the biggest kick of his life. He blocked out the noise and drilled the 42-yard field goal to send the Rams to the NFC Championship game.
"It means everything, and all the work that I've put in to get to this point, it's pulled through," Mevis said.
Since Mevis took over as the Rams' starting kicker in Week 10, he's made 16 of 17 field goals and all 45 of his extra point attempts. That success has been driven by a sense of quiet yet unbreakable self-confidence and trust in the mental and physical processes that have gotten Mevis to this point.
After the game-winner against Chicago, Mevis let out a celebratory scream. It was by far the most emotion he's shown since arriving in Los Angeles.
Surrounded by reporters in early November while competing for the starting kicker spot, Mevis' facial expression remained unchanged and determined for the entire scrum. After winning the job, he was asked how much it would mean to him to kick in an NFL game after being cut by two different teams. Mevis barely cracked a smile during his response.
"It's just another day out, me and the ball and the field and I'm just gonna go have fun kicking the ball," he said.
On Sunday, the wind was swirling and the ground was frozen in Chicago, but Mevis is an Indiana native, so this was just "backyard football," he told Adam Grosbard of L.A. Daily News days before the game. He's used to kicking in the elements, and did so many times at the University of Missouri, where he gained fame for his clutch kicks and "Thiccer Kicker" nickname.
He's developed a routine designed to keep him steady before every kick, and in the midst of games.
"(At) halftime, you'll see me go out, get a few kicks in, get out in the middle of the field, see how it's changed and go from there," Mevis told Grosbard. "Just play your ball and slice the wind and spin it to win it. That's kind of the deal."
He did that in the divisional round, noting how the wind and snow subsided throughout the game and adjusting his approach accordingly. The preparation that Mevis puts into his process breeds confidence from others as well as himself. So even in the biggest moment of his career, he was locked in on the job at hand, and his coaches and teammates had no doubt that he would come through.
"I was very confident that he would make that," said head coach Sean McVay postgame.
"He's done it every time we've asked him," said quarterback Matthew Stafford. "He's stepped up and made kicks. He does it in practice all the time. He's consistent. He's a gamer. So I just knew his blood pressure would be low. He'd be ready to rock and roll."
Since being cut by the Jets ahead of the 2025 season, Mevis practiced kicking at least two-to-three days a week. "Every week, I was planning to play, so this isn't anything new," Mevis said ahead of his NFL debut. Once the Rams gave him an opportunity mid-season, nothing changed. He was singularly focused on staying ready for his moment.
When it came, Mevis didn't disappoint, and it was only after the game was won that he showed his first signs of true joy since joining the Rams.
"I feel like I'm reaping the reward of all the work that I've done to get here and belief in myself and I feel like my confidence is through the roof right now," Mevis said.
