The Los Angeles Rams were seemingly on the verge of potentially forcing overtime in Week 16 until a botched coverage by the secondary put the San Francisco 49ers in an easy position to secure the win.
At first glance, it appeared as though cornerback Jalen Ramsey had simply allowed wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to torch him for a 46-yard bomb. It then became evident that safety Taylor Rapp was responsible for handling the deep coverage over the top.
The botched coverage allowed 49ers kicker Robbie Gould to seal the 34-31 victory with a 33-yard field goal as time expired. It did not take long to figure out what went wrong after the game.
Ramsey revealed that he thought he had safety help from Rapp on the play, via Kevin Modesti of the Southern California News Group:
“I played my technique trusting that he (Rapp) was going to be over the top. He wasn’t,” Ramsey told reporters. “That’s what happened.”
Rapp has since taken responsibility for the blown coverage that resulted in the loss:
“I was supposed to get over the top a little bit,” he said, putting the blame on himself.
“No communication (problem).”
Although it is encouraging to see Rapp hold himself accountable for his mistakes, it does not do much good for Los Angeles at this point after officially being eliminated from playoff contention. Regardless, this will surely serve as a learning experience for the rookie moving forward.
The coaching staff had high hopes for Rapp as an immediate role player after taking him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and he was able to fulfill their wishes by bringing some quality depth to their secondary. His role only increased after the Rams lost safety John Johnson III to a season-ending injury.
As a result, it is safe to say that some growing pains were to be expected of Rapp so early in his career, especially playing for a team with high expectations. Of course, this comes with the territory of playing with a caliber of Ramsey’s status after being selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.
The Rams will need to make some serious adjustments this offseason if they hope to get back to their status as former Super Bowl contenders. Meanwhile, Rapp will be expected to make the necessary strides in his development to ensure that he can earn the trust of his fellow teammates and coaching staff.
