Nothing went well for Matt Gay and the Los Angeles Rams inside SoFi Stadium four years ago when losing 22-10 to the Dallas Cowboys early in the 2022 season.

Yet strangely enough, that game can be bookmarked as a key reason behind the kicker signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Rams had an opportunity to close the lead on the Cowboys down to once score. Having gone 8-of-8 on field goals attempts up to that point in the season, his kick went wide right from 51 yards. It wasn't the only special teams miscue that game, with a few kickoffs Gay said he wish he could get back.

Gay sat back on the bench and observed Rams special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis pacing back and forth on the sideline, raising his voice passionately at the special teams unit in an effort to spark some energy.

And then he walked up to Gay with a completely changed demeanor.

"He just goes, 'Hey dude, you alright? You all good?' And I go, 'Yeah, I'm good,'" Gay recalled.

"I think that experience, for me, was just like, he cares. He's fiery. He's passionate about it, but he understands that football is an ever-flowing game and things are going to happen. Mistakes are going to happen and to know he holds me accountable but also he's not just going to rebuke or come and point fingers. I could see that he was angry, I could see he was passionate about it ... and that little telling moment with me and Joe, I knew more than anything he cared."

With DeCamillis as his special teams coordinator in Los Angeles, Gay was named a Pro Bowler in 2021 and the Rams won Super Bowl LVI that same season. Also in Gay's two seasons with the DeCamillis, he made 93.7 percent of his field goals.

DeCamillis is back in the NFL with the Raiders after spending the past three seasons at the collegiate level with Texas and South Carolina. His passion for the game and his players was a big factor in Gay's decision to join the Silver and Black.

"I really enjoyed working with him," he said. "I feel like we vibed really well together. We got along really well. We had a really good connection. ... Just in the little subtle ways of him day to day and week to week, just how we interacted built my confidence. Knowing that he's here leading this group again, I'm super excited to be a part of it and help him any way possible that I can."

Heading into his eighth season, Gay feels can help his new team through veteran leadership and experience.

"I feel like special teams is such an important part, it does get overlooked a little bit," he said. "But I could just be a part of helping these young guys along in any way, shape or form. I know I'm just the kicker on the side of things and I'm not the one that's out there running or hitting like they are, but you do watch. You do see some things and if I could just be any sort of leader to some of these guys and give them any sort of advice that they need, I think that would be helpful.

"As a kicker, you've got to get over things pretty quick. You can't let things linger and so I think sometimes just moving forward in the positive is helpful."