Richard Sherman questions Sean McVay after Rams loss as Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson face unexpected defensive concerns

Richard Sherman questions Sean McVay after Rams loss as Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson face unexpected defensive concerns

Richard Sherman has questioned Sean McVay’s decision to bring Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the Los Angeles Rams if the team is not going to use the two cornerbacks in the way they were used in Kansas City. Sherman’s criticism came after the Rams were beaten 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 in Melbourne, Australia. He also said before the game that he did not expect Los Angeles to win, pointing to Kyle Shanahan’s success against McVay.

Sherman’s main complaint was about how the Rams used their new cornerbacks. After watching the Week 1 loss, the former Seattle Seahawks star wrote on X: “Why pay these corners to not use them as they have been used?”The question is important because McDuffie and Watson arrived in Los Angeles after playing under Steve Spagnuolo in Kansas City. The Rams were hoping the pair would help change a secondary that needed more strength, and both started their first game for Los Angeles against San Francisco.The Rams had also added Myles Garrett to a defense that was expected to be one of the strongest units in the NFL. Instead, the 49ers moved the ball well enough to win 27-7. Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes, while San Francisco finished with 174 rushing yards.

The Rams also failed to record a sack, and Matthew Stafford was held to 155 passing yards before leaving the game late. The NFL confirmed the final score and game statistics.Sherman’s concern goes beyond one bad result. On his podcast, he explained that McDuffie and Watson were coming from a different defensive system. “What Spags runs isn’t what Chris Shula runs,” Sherman said.He pointed out that their responsibilities, the help they receive from the pass rush and the way they are asked to play can all change when they move to another defense.That matters because the Rams did not simply add two familiar players. They added two cornerbacks who had already proved they could play at a high level in Kansas City, then placed them in a new system under defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

Sherman was also confident about the 49ers before kickoff. While many expected the Rams to start the season with a win, he said he had picked against them because of Shanahan’s record against McVay.“They were in the broadcast talking about ‘undefeated season,’ and almost everybody picked them to win this game like it wasn’t gonna be close,” Sherman said. “And I told people, I don’t know, I don’t have the Rams winning this game because Kyle Shanahan has Sean McVay’s number.”

He then responded to Rams fans who had called him a hater for making that prediction: “Do I look like a hater now? Who looks right? I’m right. Ball knower. I know ball.”The numbers give Sherman some support. The 27-7 loss moved Shanahan to 12-7 against McVay in their coaching rivalry, according to Reuters.McVay did not blame the new corners for the defeat. After the game, he accepted responsibility and said the 49ers had outplayed his team. The Rams now have time to look at what went wrong, including whether McDuffie and Watson are being used in the best way for their new defense.