Rams' Talib defends Peters' rough start: 'He's perfectly fine'

The Los Angeles Rams are off to a scorching 9-1 start - the best record in the NFC. But it hasn't been a season without struggles, especially for cornerback Marcus Peters.

Peters surrendered a number of big plays in his team's Week 9 loss to the New Orleans Saints - the Rams' only defeat so far this season. The defensive back allowed receptions on seven of nine targets for 146 yards and a touchdown when matched up with star receiver Michael Thomas, according to Pro Football Focus.

Despite Peters' performance, fellow cornerback Aqib Talib isn't concerned about his teammate's long-term outlook.

"He's good," Talib said, according to Clarence Dennis of the team's official website. "(Peters) is good. What do they say? It's a marathon not a sprint? He is good, he's perfectly fine."

Peters, who Los Angeles acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 2018 season, has just one interception on the year after accumulating 19 in 45 games with his former team. Opposing quarterbacks have earned a 143.7 passer rating when targeting the former first-round pick this season, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra.

Talib - who is targeting a Week 13 return after an ankle injury landed him on the injured reserve in September - said Peters' struggles come with the territory of covering the NFL's best receivers.

"That's just part of playing DB ... I don't even know one DB who is perfect all the time ..." Talib said. "That's part of playing DB, you're going to go through those stretches, but that's why we got short memories and why we play the toughest positions on the field."

The Rams will need a strong performance from Peters when they face his former team in Week 11. Kansas City boasts the NFL's No. 4-ranked passing offense, averaging 305.5 yards per game. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads the league with 31 touchdowns.