Throughout the offseason, there was a lot of discussion about how the Los Angeles Rams needed to add at the cornerback position. With Ahkello Witherspoon and Darious Williams as the starters, it was a group that lacked youth and upside. However, the forgotten aspect in all of this was the addition of Emmanuel Forbes.
Last season, the Rams claimed Emmanuel Forbes off of waivers after he was cut less than two years after being selected in the first round. Prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, Forbes was a player
that I had pegged as a perfect fit for the Rams at cornerback. He was one of the fastest cornerbacks in the draft with outstanding ball skills. While he had a smaller frame at 166 pounds, the Rams have proven time and time again that they don’t care about size.
However, Forbes went in the first round to the Washington Commanders and things did not go well to say the least. Following a regime change and system change, it was clear that it wasn’t going to work with Forbes in Washington.
In 2018, the Rams took a chance on another first round pick that didn’t have a future with their organization when they traded for edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. Fowler helped the Rams make the Super Bowl that season. Back in 2022, the Rams claimed a former No. 1 overall pick, Baker Mayfield, off of waivers. Mayfield helped the Rams to two wins in a lost season.
The Rams have a history of taking a player in a bad situation and helping them re-find that spark. Heading into the offseason, there was no guarantee that Forbes would make the roster. The Rams simply gave him an opportunity to compete and he rose to the occasion. All offseason, the coaching staff raved about Forbes’ progress. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula commended Forbes’ progress after OTAs for how smart he is and his ability to communicate. Head coach Sean McVay commended his coachability and willingness to learn.
Was it a risk putting all of the eggs in the basket that Forbes would re-find his form that made him a first-round pick? The answer to that question is probably yes. At the same time, if the risk paid off, the Rams essentially got a free first-round pick at the cornerback position.
On Sunday, the Rams made a surprise decision by starting Forbes who played 50 snaps to Ahkello Witherspoon’s 51. Meanwhile, Darious Williams didn’t play at all. It was very clearly Forbes as the CB2 across from Witherspoon. That should tell you everything you need to know about how the Rams feel about Forbes. The Rams took a player that they are comfortable with in Williams and played Forbes over him to start the season.
There were plenty of positives to take from Forbes’ first start with the Rams. He allowed one catch on one target for a single yard. While he did have a missed tackle, he also showed a willingness to be physical and make tackles in space. There’s a great example of that below as Forbes came down to tackle tight end Cade Stover in the flat.
There was also an example of Forbes meeting the running back in the hole on the edge and getting involved in the run game. This was one of Forbes’ biggest concerns coming out of Mississippi State and something he struggled with at times in Washington. Forbes seems to have taken strides in that regard.
Again, it wasn’t perfect, but it was promising. The Rams aren’t asking Forbes to be their top cornerback which alleviates some of the pressure that he had in Washington. Forbes is being asked to play a role and currently is excelling at it. It’s only one game, but Forbes will be a player to watch moving forward.
Rams Feature 12 Personnel
One of the main talking points of the offseason for the Rams was whether or not they would feature more 12 personnel in the offense. Following Week 1, that appears to be the case. The Rams were in 12 personnel on 26 of their 60 snaps on offense for a rate of 42.1 percent. That number was 15.6 percent last year.
The Rams utilized 12 personnel when the matchup dictated it last season. For example, they used it heavily in both games against the Minnesota Vikings. While it certainly seems that the Rams offense will be more 12 personnel based in 2025, it will be interesting to see how it continues.
This is a roster with a deep tight end group. Terrance Ferguson may not have played on offense, but Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, and Colby Parkinson all got involved on offense. The Rams did a nice job rotating all three tight ends and staying balanced. While Allen and Parkinson may be used more as blocking tight ends, both have the ability to make plays in the passing game.
That makes it extremely difficult on the defense. Defenses will often look for personnel tells to anticipate what the offense is doing. For example, Parkinson and Allen on the field on early downs may indicate that a run is coming. Instead, the Rams run play action off of it, the defense bites, and Matthew Stafford throws a touchdown to Allen in the corner of the end zone.
With 12 personnel, the Rams were able to dictate play and keep things on their terms. Nacua aligned from the slot on a career-high 65.2 percent of his snaps, catching six passes for 78 yards. That was just 30.3 percent and 29.9 percent in 2023 and 2024. The Rams were sometimes able to get Nacua in a slot alignment by motioning a tight end outside, giving Nacua inside leverage on an in-breaker. To put it simply, McVay was able to bait the linebackers out of 12 personnel because it kept the Texans in their base defense.
The Rams go on to win the game out of 11 personnel, using Nacua in motion on the first two plays. This sets up the final play that gets the entire defense to bite, leaving Nacua open for the game-clinching first down. The numbers weren’t necessarily good in 12 personnel, but it will be interesting to see how McVay expands on it. They had a -3.1 total EPA out of 12 personnel which ranked 24th, ranking 17th in EPA per pass (0.11) and 26th in EPA per rush (-0.37). However, when utilizing play action, Stafford was 6-for-7 for 55 yards and a touchdown out of 12 personnel.
Braden Fiske Improved in Run Game
A weakness in Braden Fiske’s game last season was how he played against the run. It made sense as he was a smaller player with shorter arms. Not only could he get pushed around in the trenches, but he didn’t have the arm length to wrap up ball carriers.
However, Fiske seemed improved in that area on Sunday. It may have partially been because of a bad Texans interior offensive line. At the same time, Fiske was very good against the run. He had a run stop percentage of 16.9 percent which ranked ninth among defensive linemen. He consistently showed up in the run game. The Rams have a strong defensive line rotation and nobody is a full-time player. Kobie Turner led the group in snap share at 68 percent. However, if Fiske can show continued growth on running downs, his role may increase from simply being a plus pass rusher.
Honorable Mentions
Matthew Stafford No-Lookers
It became pretty clear that Matthew Stafford’s back was fine on Sunday against the Texans. His touchdown pass came on a rollout to his left. He took some hits and got right back up. The Rams quarterback also pulled out a few ‘no look passes’ out of his toolbox. Stafford wasn’t special on Sunday, but he didn’t need to be. He remained efficient and did some of the Stafford things when the situation called for it as seen below.
Jared Verse the Run Defender?
When it comes to Jared Verse, you have to be able to look past the stat sheet. Verse may not have gotten a sack on Sunday, but he showed up in the run game. Verse was the second-highest graded edge defender in Week 1 behind only TJ Watt. He was the primary focus for the Texans defense, sometimes getting the attention of three blockers. The stat sheet may say that Verse had a quiet game, but he was very much causing disruption.
