When Texans tight end Cade Stover caught the ball in front of Rams cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., he executed a textbook tackle that forced the 251-pounder backward after contact.
"I'm a grown man just like he is, and I'm not gonna let a man out-physical me, out-tough me," Forbes toldtheRams.com after the game.
That was the only time Forbes was targeted in Week 1, and it yielded just one yard, according to Pro Football Focus, which tied for 11th-fewest among cornerbacks with at least 12 coverage snaps.
Forbes put in work on the field, in the classroom and in the weight room during the offseason in order to earn a prominent role in this defense. On Sunday, he showed glimpses of what he can accomplish with those upgrades, in a system that fits his play style.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula described Forbes' tackling as "the most pleasant surprise" from his progress since joining the team in the middle of last year. He made a "conscious effort" to improve that aspect of his game, and it showed up in Week 1.
"It's just been really impressive (to see) the urgency that he plays with, the physicality, the toughness," Shula said.
This offseason, Forbes focused on bulking up in order to get "stronger (and) way more explosive," he told theRams.com during OTAs. After entering the league at 6 feet, 166 pounds, Forbes is now listed at 180. And that increased potential for physicality was on display against some big Houston receivers.
Nico Collins (6-foot-4, 222 pounds) and Jayden Higgins (6-4, 215) presented a potential challenge for Forbes on paper, but the tape tells a different story. On one route, Higgins couldn't even finish his break before a forceful bump from Forbes knocked him off his feet.
"I thought he did a good job," said head coach Sean McVay. "I thought he tackled well. I thought he was in pretty good phase in his coverages."
The Rams' defensive scheme allows Forbes to use the tools that helped him lead the SEC in interceptions (and pick-sixes) in two of his three seasons at Mississippi State.
"(Shula) puts me in positions to succeed (because) we get a lot of ball opportunities, make plays on the ball, a lot of zone defenses," Forbes said. "So it's a lot of looking at the quarterback and just playing quarterback eyes. So that benefits me a lot and just let me use my athleticism, my route recognition, and just go make plays on the ball."
The Rams' other starting cornerback, Ahkello Witherspoon, liked what he saw from Forbes on Sunday. The 30-year-old veteran thought Forbes played to his strengths, which feature unpredictable yet instinctual movements.
"You don't know if he's gonna press, you don't know if he's gonna use a certain press technique, he might bail, he might jump-jam you, he might (be) soft out of the cloud rep and come down and make a big tackle," Witherspoon said. "He's just so multiple in the way that he approaches the game and I like that element of his game."
Forbes utilized pretty much all of those techniques in the Rams' Week 1 victory, to great effect. And don't forget, this is the same player who ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine in 2023. So his ability to go step-for-step with speedy receivers is just as prevalent as his enhanced physicality, whether he's tackling or covering.
Shula said their approach at cornerback could vary each week based on the opponent, but Forbes certainly earned the coaching staff's confidence ahead of Sunday's bout with the Titans.
Forbes found out he was going to start the season opener more than a week before the game against Houston. But the first-round pick, who was waived by the Commanders last season and subsequently picked up by the Rams, wasn't surprised. That's what he was always meant to be: A starter, if not a star.
"It's what I expect," Forbes said, "and I just go out and do my job."
