The Los Angeles Rams put together a dominant effort on the defensive side of the ball in Week 6 thanks to the efforts of safety Taylor Rapp.
Rapp hauled in two interceptions that quickly resulted in a pair of trips to the end zone for the Rams offense. All in all, it was a career day for the former second-round pick after allowing zero catches while being targeted four times in coverage.
Even head coach Sean McVay was admittedly impressed with Rapp’s performance during the 38-11 victory over the New York Giants, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“I thought he did a great job, made his plays,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said of Rapp. “He’s such an instinctual player, he’s got great short space quickness, got a nose for the football, whether we’re sending him forward, whether it’s in some of those underneath zones, and then be able to come away with those two interceptions was big. (He) got a game ball. Really happy for Taylor. He did a great job. He was one of the stars in the game for sure.”
Rapp’s efforts were also enough to earn him the game ball from McVay:
L.A. suffered some notable losses in the secondary this offseason with the departure of John Johnson and Troy Hill. This forced the likes of Rapp and cornerback Darious Williams to step up into starting roles for this defense.
The Rams recently placed Williams on injured reserve due to a sprained ankle and the Rams have since had to rely on their depth to fill the void. Meanwhile, Rapp continues to hold it down over the top in place of Johnson.
This is not the first time the 23-year-old has been put in a position to play an integral role on defense. Rapp started 10 of 15 games as a rookie and tallied 62 solo tackles and two interceptions until largely serving a reserve role in his second year due to the emergence of safety Jordan Fuller.
He was not the only promising, young player to make some waves over the weekend as cornerback Robert Rochell recorded his first career interception. Like Rapp in 2019, Rochell is embracing the expectations that come with playing a starting role in his first year.
The Rams’ depth in the secondary has certainly paid some major dividends amid a favorable part of the team’s schedule and they will look to keep it going against the Detroit Lions in Week 7.
