Start Harrison Mevis over Tyler Loop — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Mevis wins the kicker call on rank support and a stronger leg

Start Harrison Mevis: the 0.9-point projection edge is small for a kicker, but the consensus gap gives him the sturdier case. Both offenses are expected to create about two field-goal chances, making Mevis' stronger-leg profile and better accuracy more meaningful than the raw projection difference. Loop is still a viable START with the higher team total, more red-zone stalls and a weather-proof roof; Mevis' risk is that the Rams create fewer scoring chances.

What flips it: A wind increase at the open Rams' stadium or any change to Mevis' PK1 status.

AI editor

Harrison Mevis

K5LARvs SF

9.49.49.4 Projected Points

Start

Tyler Loop

K12BALvs IND

8.58.58.5 Projected Points

Start· medium

Why Harrison Mevis

Start

Starting K with strong leg. Big-distance range on field goals; limited career sample.

Start — K5 by consensus, projects K4 this week: 1.6 red-zone stalls a game, and 9.4 pts projected vs SF.

His strong-leg profile preserves access to longer attempts when drives stall outside the red zone.
The Rams' calm open-roof forecast keeps his range advantage usable rather than theoretical.

Latest on Mevis

5 Takeaways from Rams' 20-18 preseason Week 3 win over Chargers: QB usage, Harrison Mevis' perfect preseason, and more

Here are five things that stood out from the Rams' 2026 preseason finale Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.

therams.com · Aug 28, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Tyler Loop

Start· medium

Starting placekicker who handles kickoffs. Accurate inside 50 but limited range, hitting just 1-of-4 from 50-plus as a rookie with a long of 52.

K12 with a 26.5 implied total, 1.9 red-zone stalls per game and 88% accuracy indoors — volume and environment both check out.

Baltimore's slightly better scoring outlook gives Loop more ways to reach value beyond field goals.
The retractable roof removes weather as a reason for his limited range to hurt this week.

The call

Baltimore's 26.5 implied team total plus 1.9 red-zone stalls per game is the ideal kicker recipe: plenty of drives, plenty that end in a field-goal try. Projection of 2.0 attempts and 2.6 extra points backs it.
Loop is the locked-in PK1 with no injury designation and 88% accuracy (30/34), so there's no leg-strength or usage risk to work around beyond a modest 52-yard long.
Retractable roof with a calm forecast either way removes the wind and precipitation variance that usually separates kickers — this is a clean scoring environment.
Only real caveat: K12 on 8.5 projected points is a mid-tier start, so a top-8 kicker in a higher-total game on your bench would be the tiebreaker.

Latest on Loop

News & Notes: Tyler Loop Has 'Embraced' Competition From Jake Moody

The Ravens have a completion rate target for Lamar Jackson. Declan Doyle has a timeline for choosing the starting center. Where rookie Zion Young has made strides.

baltimoreravens.com · Sep 2, 2026

Minter backs Loop as Ravens add kicker competition in Moody

Baltimore signed Jake Moody to the practice squad three days after Tyler Loop missed two kicks in the preseason finale.

ESPN · Aug 31, 2026

Jesse Minter still has confidence in K Tyler Loop

Jamison Hensley breaks down the kicking situation for the Ravens.

VideoESPN · Aug 31, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Harrison Mevis	Tyler Loop
Projected points	9.49.49.4	8.58.58.5
Consensus rank	K5	K12
Projected FG attempts	2.0	2.0
Red-zone stalls / game	1.6(2025)	1.9(2025)
Kicking conditions	Calm forecast at kickoff	Retractable roof, calm forecast either way
Implied total · spread	25.8-3.0	26.5-3.5
Field-goal %	92.3%(2025)	88.2%(2025)
Depth chart	K1	K1