Rams address Aaron Donalds Week 2 status after losing Myles Garrett
Sean McVay still is not 100 percent ready to turn Aaron Donald loose, even after the Rams lost the centerpiece of their dreamteam pass rush.Asked whether Donald would return Monday night against the Giants, McVay declined to say definitively.“He’s going to continue to work his process, and we’ll see what that looks like,” McVay said.“[We] haven’t decided yet.”The answer carries far more weight after Myles Garrett was placed on injured reserve and scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery.
Garrett will miss at least four games, although McVay also declined to offer a firm timeline for his return.Los Angeles had managed Garrett’s knee for weeks, hoping its acquisition could play through the discomfort.
Thursday’s 27-7 loss to San Francisco showed otherwise.Garrett later called the performance “the worst version of myself,” finishing without a tackle, sack or quarterback hit.The Rams’ entire front struggled right along with him.
Los Angeles generated no sacks and only nine pressures across 36 dropbacks, placing stress on a defense that was constructed to overwhelm protection plans.The Rams are currently ranked 26th in quarterback pressures generated.
Nobody consistently wrecked a block before Brock Purdy released the football.That is the void Donald could fill.This defense badly needs a pass rusher capable of winning without assistance.
Stunts, simulated pressures and blitzes can manufacture confusion, but eventually somebody must beat a guard or tackle one-on-one.Without Garrett, opponents can slide protection toward Byron Young, double Kobie Turner and force the remaining rushers to prove they deserve more attention.Even a diminished version of Donald would alter that math.
Interior disruption compresses the pocket faster than pressure off the edge and prevents quarterbacks from calmly stepping into throws.If Donald can command two blockers, teammates receive the isolated matchups that disappeared against San Francisco.The Rams defensive ...