The Truth Comes Out: Sean McVay Explains Why Ex-First Round Pick Was Passed Over in…

When news broke that ascending cornerback Cobie Durant wasn’t going to play in Week 15 after suffering a lung contusion against the Buffalo Bills in Week 14 in the Los Angeles Rams 44-42 win, fans were eager to see if Emmanuel Forbes, the former Washington Commanders first-round pick Les Snead claimed off of waiver earlier in the month, was finally going to see the field.

Would he start the game opposite Darious Williams at perimeter cornerback, or even just rotate in for one reason or another, depending on the flow of the game? Well, as it turns out, the answer was a resounding no, as long-time Rams reserve Ahkello Witherspoon ended up playing 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, and Forbes was held out of action entirely for the second week in a row.

But why? Well, McVay was asked that question on Monday and explained the decision to reporters.

“I think Ahkello has done a great job for our team each of the last couple years. I thought he played great the other night. He has answered the bell. It is great to be able to have Emmanuel continuously get up to speed behind the scenes with [Pass Game Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach] Aubrey [Pleasant], but we like the depth that we have at corner,” McVay told reporters.

“Cobie Durant has had a good year. Darious Williams, we know what he’s capable of. I thought both Darious and Ahkello played as well from the corner position as we’ve had the other night, slowing down a really good offense that can beat you in a variety of ways. I thought really our secondary as a whole was sticky in coverage, had as many pass breakups and then obviously, Darious’ interception was the turning point in the game. Offensively, those guys were able to convert that into a field goal and run the rest of the game out with 20 seconds left there.”

So, what is the plan for Forbes moving forward? Well, McVay commented on that, too, and his answer is interesting indeed.