Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake broke down the unique experience and advice he received from new cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Trent McDuffie is a strong cornerback, but one who also has championship experience. The former Kansas City Chiefs defender was the first of multiple blockbuster moves the Los Angeles Rams made, and he brings a lot of value for a big reason.
Rams safety Quentin Lake brought that unique experience up on 97.1, where he revealed he spoke to McDuffie and Jaylen Watson about their mentality during the Super Bowl.
Initially, when Lake is asked about what the pair of corners brings to the team, he stated they are "super talented" and have very gifted "physical traits." However, he quickly transitioned to speaking about their mentality when playing in the Super Bowl.
"I got a chance to ask him what was the mindset and mentality of when you guys ended up going to the Super Bowl two times," Lake said." Two times, right? you know, because we were close last year, but sometimes, you know, getting a different perspective of people that actually have a ring and hoisted the Lombardi trophy, you know, there's a lot of value in that, too."
Lake was drafted to the Rams during the 2022 season, which was one year after they won their last Super Bowl. Having players who experienced the highest peak of what the NFL has to offer is something the safety wanted to break down.
"So, I asked them, you know, what was the mindset and mentality of the team, you know, when you guys were going through the season, then obviously the postseason ... sometimes you can win games in so many different ways, which I I took away. It's, you know, when the offense might be struggling, the defense has to step up. When the defense is struggling, the offense has to carry the weight. And same with special teams, too. Um, but the biggest thing was, and it was interesting, when they were going through their Super Bowl runs, they understood that every team was going to give them their best," Lake said.
Lake took from the conversation that the Chiefs' Super Bowl teams understood that teams would be gunning for them, so they had to elevate their game. He also pointed to the upcoming 2026 season, stating the Rams need to understand the same thing, considering their current favorite status to win it all.
"So now it's, you know, we have to lock in and say, 'Hey, we have this talent. We know people are going to give us our A-game, but now we just got to hit them in the mouth to say this is real.' So that's really the biggest thing that I took from, you know, them coming in," Lake said.
The Rams are certainly a talented team, and they need to show that the multiple acquisitions they have had this offseason are not for nothing. McDuffie, Watson, and Myles Garrett were brought in to build the defense into a similar powerhouse to what the offense is.
Though it may be Super Bowl or bust for Los Angeles, Lake understands that it is up to the team to be the ones to "punch" opponents in the mouth. There is talent across the board, but putting it together is a different story.
There are many factors awaiting the Rams in 2026, including their difficult schedule and the NFC West competition. The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers both got better as a team, similarly to Los Angeles.
Now, it will be up to Lake and the defense to meld in a special way that can lead to wins, especially during those very tough and competitive matchups.
