Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes has been thrown into the fire, and it has produced mixed results.
As the season has progressed, the former first-round pick has seen his playing time dwindle as he's dealt with an elbow injury, has been benched for a game and was even ejected in the first quarter of the Commanders' loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Despite the ups and downs that normally come with a rookie season, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera didn't specify if Forbes would see more playing time down the stretch with the playoffs out of reach, and he wants the rookie cornerback to focus on improving mentally and physically.
“It is, again, it just depends on how the situation unfolds for us," Rivera said. "We're going to try and get him out there and try and get him some reps [and] have him play. He’s been working and that's probably the most important thing for him right now is just understanding and learning and growing.”
Forbes had played in 11 games, four of which he started, and has 27 tackles, 10 passes defended, two tackles for loss and an interception. If Forbes is going to improve and live up to the bill as a first-round pick, Rivera thinks it'll come down to how he applies his skills to what he's asked to do schematically.
"When you have that kind of a skill set, it's taking what you do and now transferring it into the techniques that you're being taught into the scheme that you're being used for and you with his skill set," Rivera said. "With his quick twitch and stuff, you would want him to understand just how important it is to play with your leverage, how important it is to use certain techniques and understanding those things.”
Washington (4-10) looks to snap its five-game losing streak when it faces the New York Jets (5-9) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium
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