In their season-opening loss, Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake was targeted in coverage several times as the San Francisco 49ers appeared to repeatedly test his skills as a coverage defender.
While Lake did secure an interception, he also allowed seven catches on 10 targets for 54 yards, many of them coming on touchdown-scoring drives for the 49ers. His performance was unusual for a player who's been called the linchpin of their defense, especially after the team added Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the offseason.
Lake wasn't the only defensive back who had a little bit of a tough day, as the unit suffered multiple failures against the 49ers' elite offensive attack. Head coach Sean McVay spoke about the job his captain did on Thursday,
surprisingly stating he thought Lake played well, while alluding to the coaching staff needing to do a better job of positioning players in better spots.
“I thought ‘Q’ did a great job," said McVay. "‘Q’ is active. He has a bunch of different roles that he's playing for us. His communication, his ownership, his understanding. That pick was a great play by him. Then he was really active in the run game. He’s going to continue to be a big factor.
In the contest, the 49ers had 379 yards of total offense, with 174 being rushing yards.
"I don't think really the game the other day was really any sort of reflection of the way that we want to play in any of the three phases on a consistent basis, even though there were some positive things that we saw," McVay continued. "I'm excited about how we can say, ‘Hey, what does that identity look like as we continue to establish it, learn about this team? How do we put them in the most favorable spots and then how can our play style come to life where we can play complementary ball off of one another?’ The other day, like I told you guys, one of those humbling days. We correct it. We look at ourselves in the mirror and we say, ‘How can we move forward and be a part of the solution?’ And it's exactly what you're going to get from this group.”
Perhaps Lake's bad day was due to the Rams being outcoached. In the end, it doesn't matter. How Lake and the Rams' secondary respond in Week 2 will be a turning point for how this season unfolds. If things are fixed against the New York Giants, no harm, no foul.
However, if there are issues again, McVay may be forced to provide a real answer to the lingering issues. Either it's Lake, or it's the scheme – or it's both. The good news is that it could also be neither, and last Thursday was a one-off. With some film on their opponents, Los Angeles has exactly what it needs to change the narrative surrounding the defense.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay defends Quentin Lake's performance vs. 49ers: 'Did a great job'
