The Rams bought two cornerback Corvettes from Kansas City.
asserted
Rams → buy → City
Richard Sherman believes they are using them to drive for Uber.
asserted
they → believe → Uber
“You don’t use a Corvette to Uber,” Sherman told ESPN host Kevin Clark.
asserted
Sherman → use → Clark
“You get in a Corvette, you’re racing.”
asserted
you → get → Corvette
Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson were two of the centerpieces of the Rams’ star-studded defensive makeover after beginning their careers in Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense.
asserted
McDuffie → stud → defense
Sherman believes Los Angeles has stripped away the conditions that made both cornerbacks so valuable.
asserted
cornerbacks → believe → conditions
“The corners you’ve got are great corners — great corners — but they have played in Spags’ system their entire careers, and you don’t run Spags’ defense,” Sherman said.
asserted
Sherman → get → defense
Spagnuolo incorporated McDuffie and Watson into an unpredictable blend of Cover 1 man, Cover 2 zone and disguised pressure packages, with occasional Cover 0 blitzes adding another aggressive element.
asserted
blitzes → incorporate → element
Kansas City changed the picture before and after the snap, allowing its corners to challenge receivers while the pass rush disrupted route timing.
asserted
rush → change → timing
Under defensive coordinator Chris Shula, the Rams have leaned more heavily on Cover 3, mixing in Cover 2 and Cover 6 while attempting to generate pressure through four-man rushes, stunts and simulated looks rather than frequent blitzes.
asserted
Rams → lean → rushes
During their 27-7 season-opening loss to the 49ers, they tilted even further toward Cover 3 and Cover 4, virtually abandoning Cover 2 while also dialing back their man coverage, blitzes and defensive-line movement.
asserted
they → open → coverage
Sherman believes that approach ignored a proven blueprint against Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
asserted
approach → believe → offense
“There’s already a plan,” Sherman said.
asserted
Sherman → ’ → ?
“There’s already a formula for how to use these guys effectively against condensed sets and all the crazy runs Kyle uses.”
asserted
Kyle → ’ → sets
Spagnuolo has repeatedly found answers for Shanahan on the Super Bowl stage.
asserted
Spagnuolo → find → stage
McDuffie and Watson were part of the most recent example, helping Kansas City defeat San Francisco in Super Bowl LVIII.
asserted
City → help → LVIII
Los Angeles instead frequently positioned its corners off the line and asked them to read developing routes from deeper alignments.
asserted
Angeles → position → alignments
Sherman argued that those responsibilities give offenses room to direct posts and crossing routes away from them.
asserted
responsibilities → argue → them
“When you don’t play to a player’s strengths — when you don’t use him the way he has been used and thrived — then you’re wasting him,” Sherman said.
asserted
Sherman → play → him
That criticism carries additional weight because of the Rams’ investment.
asserted
criticism → carry → investment
They surrendered significant draft capital for McDuffie before giving him a massive extension, while Watson was another prominent addition to their expensive defensive rebuild.
asserted
Watson → surrender → rebuild
“You paid him and brought him somewhere else,” Sherman said.
asserted
Sherman → pay → him
“Now play him the way he has played so he can have the success you brought him there to have.”
asserted
you → play → him
One game does not establish how the Rams will deploy their secondary all season.
asserted
Rams → establish → secondary
Their diminished pass rush also mattered, particularly with Myles Garrett now sidelined.
asserted
Garrett → matter → ?
But Sherman’s warning applies beyond one coverage call.
asserted
warning → apply → call
Los Angeles paid for Corvette-level talent.
asserted
Angeles → pay → talent
Now it must decide whether to let that talent race.
asserted
talent → decide → ?
The Aporia
