Rams’ Robert Rochell learning from rookie mistakes

In the six months since the Rams picked him successful the 4th circular of the NFL draft, Robert Rochell has learned to expect the unexpected and beryllium prepared to respond.

The latest, champion acquisition came a week agone erstwhile coaches told the rookie cornerback helium would beryllium making his archetypal commencement arsenic a pro successful the Rams’ crippled against the Seahawks past Thursday nighttime successful Seattle.

“Sometimes worldly happens, truthful you’ve conscionable got to beryllium ready,” the 23-year-old from the University of Central Arkansas said Monday. “I ne'er would person thought I’d beryllium successful this concern this aboriginal successful my career.”

Replacing the struggling David Long, Rochell committed a glaring interference punishment erstwhile helium was beaten connected a Russell Wilson-to-Tyler Lockett pass, and looked similar a Ram successful the headlights giving up a Geno Smith-to-D.K. Metcalf touchdown.

But Rochell shook disconnected the mistakes and broke up a Smith-to-Lockett walk successful the extremity portion precocious successful the crippled to assistance sphere the 26-17 triumph that made the Rams 4-1 arsenic they spell to New Jersey to look the 1-4 New York Giants this Sunday.

Rochell’s value volition lone turn with cornerback Darious Williams each but definite to miss the Giants crippled aft spraining an ankle successful Seattle.

Coach Sean McVay said Williams could spell connected injured reserve, sidelining the Rams’ 2020 interception person (with four) for astatine slightest 3 games.

“Now guys volition beryllium asked to measurement up,” McVay said.

The Rams could enactment information Terrell Burgess astatine cornerback, pat a signifier squad that includes corners Dont’e Deayon, Kareem Orr and Tyler Hall and antiaircraft backmost J.R. Reed, propulsion Long backmost successful the mix, oregon usage immoderate operation of the above.

Whatever other happens, Rochell, with 1 NFL commencement to his name, abruptly is 2nd connected the Rams’ cornerback extent illustration down two-time All-Pro Jalen Ramsey.

Ramsey liked what helium saw of Rochell successful Seattle.

“He ne'er got down connected himself,” Ramsey said. “We were encouraging him, of course. But helium was already similar ‘Yeah, I’m good. Next play.’ That’s the nonstop mindset you’ve got to person arsenic a corner.”

Rochell calls it “short-term memory.”

“The past play, I had to delete it, and I had to get acceptable for the adjacent play,” helium said. “Because the adjacent 1 could beryllium the champion play. It lone takes one.”

Rochell has been getting implicit atrocious moments since grooming camp.

In precocious July, helium injured his near wrist and had surgery. After missing 2 weeks, helium resumed practicing with a formed connected the wrist. He inactive wears a mentation of the cast; it’s connected the manus that prevented a Seahawks touchdown with the Rams up by 9 and astir 3 minutes to play past Thursday.

In the 2nd crippled of the season, helium blew a peculiar teams assignment. His missed artifact against the Indianapolis Colts resulted successful a promising punt instrumentality by Tutu Atwell going for zero yards. He didn’t play astatine each the pursuing week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I conscionable miscued the play,” Rochell said, owning the error.

Eleven days aft the peculiar teams goof, Rochell was starting connected defence arsenic the 3rd cornerback.

“When I got notification that it was going to happen, I had to, close then, enactment my big-boy shoes on,” Rochell said. “Like, I’ve got to beryllium acceptable and basal up for this squad and each the different guys that spell retired determination time successful and time retired with me. We each correspond each other.

“I conscionable tried to spell retired determination with a large bosom and wide mind.”

Rochell seems to beryllium fashionable with teammates. They telephone him Scooter, a household nickname passed down from his precocious father, who got it for the mode helium scooted crossed the level arsenic a toddler.

Rochell said teammates and coaches told him the Seahawks would effort to prime connected the rookie, and they did.

His walk interference punishment really was a astute play nether the circumstances, since it astir apt prevented a touchdown.

As for the 23-yard walk that sailed implicit his caput for Metcalf’s fourth-quarter touchdown, Rochell said it was “just a misjudgment of the shot – mislaid it successful the light.”

They were much lessons for the rookie whose relation mightiness turn again this week.

“Being successful that benignant of concern conscionable gave maine much acquisition going forward,” Rochell said. “I’ll beryllium prepared to marque the play adjacent time.”

NOTES

The Rams began the week favored implicit the Giants by 10-1/2 points, with the over-and-under enactment astatine 47-1/2. It’s the archetypal clip they’ve been favored by 10 oregon much since they lost, infamously, to the Jets arsenic 17-1/2-point choices past December. Under McVay, the Rams are 8-2 (6-4 against the spread) erstwhile favored by treble digits. … Several Giants violative starters could beryllium missing Sunday. Running backmost Saquon Barkley (ankle), backmost Daniel Jones (concussion) and wide receivers Kenny Golloday (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle) were injured successful a 44-20 nonaccomplishment to the Cowboys. … The Rams pb the NFL successful 1 statistical category, according to pro-football-reference.com. It’s nett yards per walk effort (8.8), which factors successful sack yardage. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been sacked a league-low 4 times.