Washington Commanders Coach Jack Del Rio Still Believes in CB Emmanuel Forbes
From Week 1 of the NFL season to Week 5 Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes got progressively worse in his pass coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus, and the tape supported that decline.
Initially, things seemed to be going well for the most part with the Commanders first-round pick getting his first interception in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos after holding Arizona Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs to a sub-50 quarterback rating (QBR) in Week 1.
Starting in Week 3, however, the proverbial train went off the tracks and the result was Forbes appearing on a career-low 24 snaps during Washington's loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 5.
"I'm just going to say it hasn't gone the way he would like or we would like," defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said when asked about the play of his latest first-round addition to the unit. "So we'll just keep working at it. I believe in the young man. He's obviously had a rough start. Hasn't been as productive as we'd like him to be and I know how much he'd like to be himself. Just gotta keep working, that's what you do in this business. There's no shortcut, there's no easy way out, you just have to work."
Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (13) participates in drills during Commanders rookie minicamp at Commanders Park.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
You won't have to tell Forbes there's no easy way to anything in the NFL after allowing a 113.9 QBR to Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 followed by a near-perfect rating surrendered the following week to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
In that loss to the Eagles Forbes was consistently matched up with either receiver A.J. Brown or Philly's other star receiver DeVonta Smith.
Hurts targeted Forbes consistently in that contest and Forbes allowed nine catches on 13 targets for 197 yards of offense and two touchdowns.
The hope was that he'd be able to bounce back against Justin Fields and the Bears the following week, but instead, the rookie earned the second-lowest pass defense grade of his short career while surrendering 76 yards on just three targets and receptions.
As it tends to, consistent struggles have led to questions about Forbes' expected usage in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons and concerns that his confidence may become a roadblock on his path toward development.
"You can't really save anybody with words, it just comes down to working," Del Rio said when asked about whether or not he says anything to Forbes in an attempt to salvage his confidence. "I think you build confidence through your preparation and through your practice habits...that's what we'll stress and look to continue to build confidence in all of our guys."
The answer moving forward might be to limit Forbes' snaps to situations with more predictability so he can work on specific traits that made the Commanders draft him in the first place.
Meanwhile, Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder will likely be looking to take advantage of the rookie's struggles if and when he's on the field this Sunday afternoon.
