Los Angeles Rams: Is it possible to contain Aaron Donald?

The Los Angeles Rams defensive line has plenty of studs. No one’s above Aaron Donald though. Is it possible to even contain the superstar defensive tackle?

Remember when Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald had no sacks through the first three games of the season? If you don’t, no one’s going to blame you. It’s easy to forget about a “slow” start when Donald has racked up eight sacks in his last four outings and now has more sacks (8) than games played (7). Is it even possible to fully contain him?

There’s also a simple answer to this question. No. When Donald started the season with three straight games without a sack, it didn’t exactly mean he was contained. Donald was still drawing double teams and getting to the quarterback. He was also plugging up holes and being a force in the run game, as well as drawing a few flags.

This was also a version of Donald that wasn’t involved in training camp or preseason games.  Maybe a little rust was there. Even then though, just because he wasn’t piling up the sacks doesn’t mean he wasn’t contributing heavily.

It’s also important to remember who this Los Angeles Rams’ defense boasts. Donald is joined on the line by the likes of Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers. That means, if a defense is focusing too much on Donald, he’s making life a lot easier for at least one of those two elite defensive linemen.

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What makes Donald so dangerous is that there’s no clear weakness in his game. He’s adept at both finesse and power moves and gets off the ball quickly. The 27-year old is also stronger than most he goes up against and faster too. He’s also proven capable of beating double teams and getting around holds.

2018 was the slowest start to any season of Donald’s career. Now, through seven games, Donald is on-pace to decimate his single-season sack record. In case you were wondering, his current best is 11, and he’s on-pace for 18. This just shows how dangerous Donald is. Even when he appears to be “off his game” you need to be prepared, because the stats won’t be contained for long.

Aaron Donald is a different breed. Even when the stats aren’t eye-popping, he’s the most important player on defense for the Los Angeles Rams. He impacts the game in so many ways that there’s no true way to contain him. For years he’s been recognized as one of the best in the NFL. Maybe this is the year everyone finally agrees, there’s no one better.