Sooner or later, Cobie Durant was going to get his opportunity to help the Rams on defense this season. With all of the cornerbacks healthy to start the year, however, it didn’t seem like Durant was going to get a chance to contribute right away.
His number was called on Sunday during the Rams’ win over the Falcons, and he rose to the occasion. He filled in for the injured Troy Hill, finishing the game with an interception, a sack and two tackles.
Durant said he was staying prepared in the event that he did get snaps on defense, but he wasn’t getting much run in practice. In fact, he got zero practice reps on defense last week.
“Zero,” he told J.B. Long on the latest episode of “Rams Revealed.”
So how was he ready to play on Sunday?
“Just staying locked into the playbook because I attack every day like anything can happen at any moment,” he said. “I just had to prepare my mind to be ready, to be able to communicate on all levels out there. Whenever my name gets called and things happen and my name got called in the second quarter and from that point on, I played the whole game. So it was just having the urgency to be able to be out there with the veterans and have them to trust me out there with them.”
Durant returned his first career interception 52 yards, nearly scoring on the play. It helped set up the Rams’ third touchdown of the game, scoring just before halftime to go up 21-3. It’s not the first time Durant has come down with a pick in his football career, but after intercepting 13 passes in college and having zero return yards, it probably felt good to run one back 50-plus yards.
After that pick, he covered the kickoff following the Rams’ touchdown. Funny enough, Durant actually went to the sideline after the play, forgetting he was still playing defense.
“I was just exhausted because I just ran back like 52 yards on the interception, then we score, then I’m on kickoff so I’m running through the end zone,” he recalled. “I’m like, ‘Man, I’m going to the bench, I need some water.’ Coach Cooley’s like, ‘You need to get your blah blah blah out there.’ I’m like, ‘Man, I forgot about defense.’ First and last, it won’t happen again.”
Durant is an easy rookie to love, from his playing style to his personality. And Sunday’s pick won’t be his last. He has a nose for the football and will continue to make plays for the Rams, and he’ll be needed in the next four weeks with Hill on IR.