PHILADELPHIA - Few people like hornets and most are wise enough to not kick when they see a nest of them.
Not Los Angeles Rams rookie edge rusher Jared Verse, who has been a brilliant addition to Sean McVay’s team this season as the presumptive Defensive Rookie of the Year and a pressure-generating machine for Chris Shula’s defense.
Verse showed off his wild athleticism in the Rams’ dominating Wild Card Weekend win over the Minnesota Vikings by scooping up a Sam Darnold fumble and nearly reaching 20 miles per hour at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds en route to the end zone.
Verse, though, is still an unfinished product and likely made a difficult day on Sunday in the best of circumstances exponentially more so with the unforced error. The Florida State product aimed at the hornets' nest of Eagles fans who will be greeting the rookie and his teammates at Lincoln Financial Field for the divisional round of the playoffs.
"I hate Eagles fans," Verse told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times earlier this week. "They're so annoying. I hate Eagles fans."
Verse is hardly the first to feel that way with Eagles’ six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay admitting jovially that some Eagles players don't like Eagles fans, an often ill-tempered bunch.
Verse, who went to high school in Bloomsburg, PA, claimed visiting Eagles fans showered him with obscenities before the Week 12 game between the two teams at SoFi Stadium.
"I didn't even do nothing to 'em," Verse said. "It was my first time playing [the Eagles]. Oh, I hate Eagles fans... When I see that green and white, I hate it. I actually get upset.
“Like I actually genuinely get hot."
Verse will now undoubtedly have another opportunity to “get hot” despite the mid-30s weather and potential snow forecasted for South Philadelphia this weekend because there is little doubt some untoward heckling is coming everyone's way. And it's likely getting ramped up from the usual fare the opposition gets.
“Probably not the smartest thing to say when coming to Philadelphia,” Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley smiled at his locker on Friday. “I’ve been on the other side [with the Giants]. Even if I felt some type of way [ed. note: Barkley did] probably wouldn’t give them any extra fuel.
“Pretty sure Philly fans [have] seen that comment. It was already gonna be loud and rocking so that’s just gonna add to it.”
In his freshman season, Verse had done a lot to help the Rams, who need to pull off an unlikely upset Sunday to advance to the NFC Championship Game.
Many coaches believe rookies are no longer wet behind the ears after 17 games and a playoff win.
Verse is challenging that thesis with one whopper of a rookie mistake.
