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znModeratorMike Garafolo@MikeGarafolo
#Rams RB Malcolm Brown (clavicle) is out for the rest of the regular season at least, sources say. Beyond that is TBD. Sean McVay called it a “huge loss.”==
A quick #ADforMVP study, on Aaron Donald's game-wreckage…
-Opponents have a total of one subsequent first down (and zero TDs) on drives in which he recorded a sack.
-All 4 of his FFs have led to #LARams TDs
MORE: https://t.co/e4rHt4aI3A
— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) December 4, 2018
December 4, 2018 at 10:42 pm in reply to: highlights & play analysis & sounds of the game, LIONS game #94891znModeratorLove how Aaron Donald pushes off the LT with his right arm to get an extra speed boost pic.twitter.com/TvDOjgLXWl
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 4, 2018
znModeratorNo idea why I found this ball work so fascinating, but it caught my eye live, and I wanted to see it again. Wish we had the reverse All-22 angle.
Anyway, watch Goff…
1) Play fake with ball in right hand
2) Tranfer to his left
3) Wipe throwing hand on towel
4) Deliver to Woods pic.twitter.com/asVw1ZPSVQ— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) December 4, 2018
znModeratorNo idea why I found this ball work so fascinating, but it caught my eye live, and I wanted to see it again. Wish we had the reverse All-22 angle.
Anyway, watch Goff…
1) Play fake with ball in right hand
2) Tranfer to his left
3) Wipe throwing hand on towel
4) Deliver to Woods pic.twitter.com/asVw1ZPSVQ— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) December 4, 2018
znModeratoralyoshamucci
Game 12 Lions …
This was an ugly win, but those count too.
I have an inkling that we
1) Went vanilla to save some of our plays for better competition.
2) Figured out what Matt P was doing with his coverage but DID NOT ADJUST to bait teams into trying to use it against us in the future.Am I sure? No. But it felt like it when I was watching.
What I saw from their coverage was that they seemed to drift into “high traffic areas” … places where we often throw the ball rather than covering our guys directly. I don’t know if anyone else saw that like I did … but it would explain why Jared was hesitating on his plant foot every drop back.The Great
1) Aaron Donald is a Ram for the foreseeable future, and honestly could be MVP.
2) Having Talib back. Goodness.
3) (Gurley) Having enough confidence to go down on the 1 for time while knowing you could punch it in a couple plays later.
4) Cook over 1000 yards 4 years in a row, including 3 teams in 3 years …
The Good
5) The Robert Woods TD … unspectacular, but a play that not everyone can make. Small window for the target and not the easiest catch, but a play we make with confidence this year.
6) Pass blocking.
7) Run fits on defense.
8) GZ … consistent.
The Bad
9) Jarrrrrredddd … whew buddy … how many passes missed? And the fumble? You’re totally cool to put up a stinker once a year … but I’ve gotta call you on it.
10) How does Levine Toilolo have a career game against us?
11) Malcolm Brown loss … yes there’s an upside with the youngsters that is definitely needed … but I like the psychological security of Brown.
12) Pharoh Cooper … Im not into the running it out to the 20 thing. It’s dumb.
13) Refs missing holding calls consistently on our WRs.
14) Overall coming out flat. I’m not a fan. That has to be our last dud. We’re fighting for home field advantage.
znModeratorMike McCarthy era ends in Green Bay on sour note in Year 13
Michael Silver
When Mike McCarthy confronted the first crisis of his coaching tenure with the Green Bay Packers, navigating his way through legendary quarterback Brett Favre’s abrupt, awkward and contentious un-retirement in the summer of 2008, he and his new starting quarterback forged a seemingly unbreakable bond.
Once McCarthy pushed the organization to end the saga, setting in motion the trade that would send Favre to the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers knew his head coach had his back, and McCarthy felt similarly about the young passer’s loyalty.
A decade later, after a prolific run that still failed to live up to the lofty standards of the main protagonists, McCarthy was fired with four games remaining in his 13th season in Titletown, largely because his bosses believed his working relationship with Rodgers had reached its nadir.
In the wake of a desultory, 20-17 defeat to the lowly Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Lambeau Field, which dropped the Packers to 4-7-1 and essentially extinguished their flickering playoff hopes, it was time for the organization to confront the inevitable: For Rodgers, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, to have the best shot at winning a second (or third, or fourth) Super Bowl, finding him a new collaborator was a necessity.
It would be an oversimplification — and an exaggeration — to say that Rodgers, who turned 35 on Sunday, privately regarded this move as the birthday present of his dreams, just as it would be a stretch to say that McCarthy no longer relished the prospect of joining forces with the two-time NFL MVP. Their working relationship was mostly cordial, even as this season degenerated, and this was neither a mutiny nor a power play that left one man standing.
Rather, there was a stale component to everything about the McCarthy-Rodgers connection — from game planning to play calling to overall philosophy — that gradually sapped the offense of its magic, and it was obviously trending downward. With McCarthy’s bosses, Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy and first-year general manager Brian Gutekunst, clearly convinced that a change was necessary, it made sense to make the move now.
For one thing, the timing might benefit McCarthy, whose record (125-77-2 in the regular season, 10-8 in nine playoff appearances) and reputation may well land him another NFL head coaching opportunity within the next five weeks.
Creating the vacancy also allows the Packers to mount an open search for McCarthy’s successor over the next month. And make no mistake: This job — primarily because of Rodgers — will be highly, highly desirable among prospective candidates, especially those who regard themselves as creative offensive minds.
Whatever becomes of the Packers in the latter years of Rodgers’ career — and whatever regrets their fans harbor over the feats the duo didn’t achieve — a history lesson is in order. In the wake of Favre’s departure, the transition to Rodgers, who’d spent three years sitting behind the living legend, was viewed skeptically by most outsiders. By most people’s standards, McCarthy and Rodgers vastly outperformed initial expectations, even if it doesn’t seem that way now.
After a choppy first season, Rodgers blossomed into a force in 2009, losing an epic overtime playoff clash against future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. The next postseason, Rodgers took over the league, propelling the Pack to a Super Bowl XLV triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When Rodgers, in 2011, led the Packers to a 15-1 record and won his first regular-season MVP award, it looked like multiple Lombardis were in his and McCarthy’s future. But while the Packers continued to win consistently — and while the quarterback produced some of the NFL’s most thrilling and indelible moments of the 21st Century — they continually fell short.
The most crushing defeat occurred in the 2014 NFC Championship Game in Seattle, when the underdog Packers came out with purpose and precision and pushed the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks to the brink of elimination. The late-game collapse was surreal and brutal — and then, for McCarthy, things got even worse.
Three days later, the coach’s younger brother, Joe, collapsed and died at a Pittsburgh-area gym, setting in motion an emotional period of soul-searching. During that time, the coach decided to give up play-calling duties to then-assistant Tom Clements, a decision he would rescind during the latter part of the 2015 campaign.
In my December 2014 profile of Rodgers, I likened the creative tension between him and McCarthy to that of the cinematic parody band Spinal Tap’s two visionaries, Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins. Rodgers laughed at that assessment, but both he and McCarthy acknowledged that they were exacting and competitive co-workers, and that things sometimes got heated.
“Coach McCarthy always talks about alpha dogs — well, they’re like two alphas going at it,” former Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk said at the time.
Seneca Wallace, who spent 2013 as Rodgers’ backup, described the relationship this way: “It was interesting. You hear different stories about coaches and quarterbacks (clashing), and when the head coach also calls the plays, it’s a whole other dynamic. They’re both very opinionated. Aaron’s a very intelligent quarterback, and Mike is a very intelligent and headstrong head coach who wants things done his way.
“When you’ve got two headstrong guys going at it, it’s kind of like a chess match. Each one is trying to figure out what the next move is. They’re going to war together, and if something goes on, they’ll come back and hug it out. It’s not like it gets out of hand. Whatever they’ve got going on with their chemistry, it works for them.”
The Packers reached the postseason in 2015 and 2016, pulling off a dramatic and impressive divisional-round upset over the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the latter season, but came up short of the Super Bowl twice more.
Then, last year, Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone in Week 6, and the whole operation crumbled. If anything, the team’s ineptitude in his absence exposed the front office’s philosophical shortcomings, rather than McCarthy’s coaching failures.
Throughout McCarthy’s tenure, the Packers’ front office ethos was to build through the draft and, with few exceptions, avoid splashy signings in free agency or trades of any kind. That relatively passive approach came to frustrate both McCarthy and Rodgers, who, on so many occasions, would cover up all shortcomings with feats of brilliance — enabling then-general manager Ted Thompson to justify continuing to do things the way he always had.
After last season, Murphy took a more active role in football operations, with Gutekunst, a highly regarded member of the front office, succeeding Thompson as GM. The Packers were more aggressive over the past offseason, and with Mike Pettine having replaced longtime defensive coordinator Dom Capers, there was a sense heading into the 2018 season that the team had been energized.
It wasn’t to be, though the early results were promising: The Packers won their opener in dramatic fashion, with Rodgers returning from what had seemed to be a severe knee injury to lead the team to an instant-classic comeback victory over the Chicago Bears.
The quarterback did it again in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers, pushing Green Bay to 3-2-1 before the team’s bye week. Then, beginning with a late-October game in Los Angeles against the Rams, things unraveled quickly.
With Rodgers and the Packers poised to pull out a dramatic victory over the team with the NFC’s best record, return man Ty Montgomery ignored the orders of the coaching staff and took a kickoff out of the end zone, fumbling away the Pack’s chances — a move that seemed to be a direct challenge to McCarthy’s authority. Two days later, Montgomery was traded to the Baltimore Ravens.
Then, in a “Thursday Night Football” game in Seattle in mid-November, the Packers jumped out to an early lead but failed to put away the Seahawks, ultimately suffering a 27-24 defeat that evoked unpleasant memories of the 2014 NFC title game. Afterward, veteran defensive back Tramon Williams questioned McCarthy’s passive approach, saying he’d wished the team had gone for it on a late fourth-down play, rather than punting away the ball to the ‘Hawks, never to get it back.
After last Sunday’s defeat to the Vikings, Rodgers spoke boldly of closing the season with a five-game winning streak, and getting help elsewhere, to mount another playoff drive. As with all things Rodgers, it didn’t seem impossible, especially in the eyes of fellow players, coaches and talent executives, many of who revere his abilities even more than the average Packers fan.
One example: Jared Goff, the third-year quarterback who is having a stellar season for the 11-1 Rams.
“Physically, I don’t think it’s even close — he’s the best ever,” Goff told me before facing the Packers in October. “Just his arm talent, and what he does. I know Tom (Brady)’s incredible, and Joe Montana’s amazing, but when it comes to straight physical ability — and this is my 24-year-old, third-year-in-the-league perspective, so take it for what you will — it’s not even a contest. His hand control, his arm power, where he puts the ball … it’s freakish.”
When a quarterback is regarded as that good, the expectations are huge — and when the Packers lost on Sunday, it became obvious that McCarthy would fall well short of meeting them in 2018. The loss of his job was undoubtedly jolting for a man whose daily drive to Lambeau included a trip up Mike McCarthy Way, the street named in his honor shortly before the 2014 season.
That’s a reminder that McCarthy’s legacy will live on in Titletown, even as the quarterback with whom he once had such a tight bond forges ahead with a new offensive visionary. Rodgers and McCarthy produced a lot of success and enjoyed a lot of glory, creating an incredibly high standard along the way — and ensuring that many critics would question the head coach’s approach when the team fell short, and even sometimes when it didn’t.
Two seasons ago, after an opening-round playoff blowout of the New York Giants at Lambeau, McCarthy summoned me into his private locker room for a postgame interview. In this instance, we talked about a call that had arguably been too aggressive, a failed fourth-down play from his own 42-yard-line with the team holding an eight-point lead in the third quarter.
In retrospect, McCarthy knew he’d blown it, and that he’d be vilified for the move even as the team advanced to the next round.
After answering a couple of questions, he smiled and asked, “Why is America so tough on me, Michael?”
It was a rhetorical question, and anyway, we both knew the answer.
znModeratordouble post.
Thanks for the heads up on me double posting. I was gone all day so didn’t see it till just now. But I took care of it.
znModeratordouble post.
Thanks for the heads up on me double posting. I was gone all day so didn’t see it till just now. But I took care of it.
znModeratorSnead tells a good story about when they were scouting Donald. Snead was watching tape on AD at Pitt, and Demoff came into the room. He watched for a bit and said hey that is quite some highlight tape. And Snead said, actually that’s just a randomly chosen regular college game.
December 3, 2018 at 11:41 pm in reply to: highlights & play analysis & sounds of the game, LIONS game #94859znModeratorznModeratorSam Monson@PFF_Sam
It’s like people looked up and saw Donald has 16.5 sacks and suddenly discovered he’s the shit.—
Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Todd Gurley has his most attempts (143) yards (695) TD’s 8 on 1st down. Goff’s best down by far – attempts (169) completion percentage (70.1) yards 1,757 on 1st. Feel like there’s a compliment going onIf you can’t run it well enough – either to preserve the lead or to accentuate your pass game with play action, you’re going to be screwed.
The Los Angeles #NFL football (#Rams and #Chargers)n teams are a combined 20-4
Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Aqib Talib said he was on a 30-play count today. Thinks he will be able to do more next week but that’s in coaches’ hands.ts Tweets, current page. Tweets & replies Media
Gary Klein@LATimesklein
McVay said he had not been feeling well for several days. But he won’t be on injury report for Bears game: “Even if I’m not healthy that’s not going to hold me back…. As long as my brain isn’t too swelled, I’m going to do the best I can to get as healthy as possible.”znModeratorThose tweets about Donald are awesome.
There’s more!
—
With 4 games remaining, @AaronDonald97 has 6 multi-sack performances in 2018, a new @RamsNFL record. Since sacks became an official @NFL statistic, only Reggie White (8-1987), Bruce Smith (7-1990) & Chris Doleman (7-1989) have more such games. They’re all in the @ProFootballHOF. pic.twitter.com/xR3l5Pvr8n
— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) December 3, 2018
December 3, 2018 at 5:52 pm in reply to: Donald = ‘285 pounds of dynamite’ (the AD in November thread) #94843znModeratorznModeratorI believe I saw someone compare AD to Page recently. Anyone else see that??
There are a couple of scattered references to Page in all the Donald Tweets, but I haven’t seen anything more extensive than that.
znModeratorBill Barnwell@billbarnwell
Since his Week 7 bye, Russell Wilson has the best passer rating (126.5) and TD-INT ratio (16-1) in football.ProFootballTalk@ProFootballTalk
Chargers waiving tackle Joe BarksdaleznModeratorThese defenses are getting after the Quarterback.#LARams #DUUUVAL #GoPats #HereWeGo #BeRedSeeRed #GoPackGo #Texans #ChiefsKingdom #InBrotherhood #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/z3feWzITie
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) December 3, 2018
znModeratorHow the #LARams graded out in Week 13.
Daily Dose 🗞 » https://t.co/vTNyl5h8RA pic.twitter.com/fAskqpSokT
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 3, 2018
znModeratorWhat we learned from the Rams' 30-16 victory over the Detroit Lions – Los Angeles Times https://t.co/pPIeDUE9aK
— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) December 3, 2018
znModeratorRobert Klemko@RobertKlemko
Watching nothing but Aaron Donald for a whole game is like watching the last hour of Man on Fire when Denzel is blowing stuff up with rocket launchers and sticking C4 in criminals’ butts.Aaron’s my MVP pick.
Steve Palazzolo@PFF_Steve
Since 2006, best @PFF pass-rush grades among interior DLinemen:2018 Aaron Donald 94.4
2017 Aaron Donald 93.7
2016 Aaron Donald 93.3
2015 Aaron Donald 93.0
2014 J.J. Watt 92.9znModeratorAaron Donald being able to teleport seems like an unfair advantage pic.twitter.com/wwfvZ5NW7N
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 3, 2018
znModeratorI don’t think Chicago has a chance..unless Deiter Brock comes back”””
That’s a canny reference to the 85 playoff game of course.
znModeratorjrry32
McVay
I am grateful for what we have. Do you know how many other teams would kill to have our HC? Do you know how many offenses would kill to have him calling plays? The man isn’t perfect. There’s no such thing as a perfect coach. But he is the best damn play-caller in the NFL. He might be the best damn head coach in the NFL. We’ll see on that.
We played poorly and still won 30-16. That’s what great teams do. Aaron Donald is a monster. Ridiculous that he has 16.5 sacks, 20 TFLs, and 4 FFs as a constantly doubled DT in only 12 games.
The Offense
The entire team was off today. Goff missed some throws he makes (and fumbled the ball away on a play where he had Woods open for a nice gain). The Lions got away with some penalties that screwed him on a couple of should-be big plays. And the receivers were off just a tad with the timing and routes. Simply put, we were just a little off as a whole today.
And let’s not claim Gurley was unstoppable. Gurley was getting stopped for large chunks of this game. When he was running well, we gave him opportunities. But there were plenty of drives where we were running Gurley into a wall.
Just tip your cap to the Lions. We had an off day, and their defense played well. Sometimes, the defense just executes well. That was true today. I don’t think it’s an omen or anything. Goff has had some games where he looked unstoppable this year, and two games where he was off. Those two games were the Broncos and the Lions. I expect he bounces back against the Bears. The kid tends to bring it in the games we need it the most.
The Defense
Our run defense improved? Our opponent is the biggest reason imo. But Suh and Donald were a lot more disruptive in the running game. That played a big role. Ebukam needs to be more consistent setting the edge. Fowler Jr. was excellent today at it. He seems to be settling in nicely. If he continues to set the edge well, that’ll solve some problems. Still, we really need an ILB next to Littleton who can fill gaps. Barron used to be that guy, but he’s just not playing like himself this year.
Honestly, I think I’d try Hager or Kiser next week. Ramik Wilson isn’t the answer. Barron doesn’t seem to be. Give somebody else a shot. I dunno. Wade sees these guys practice, so who am I to question him? I’m just frustrated with the lack of consistent play from the ILBs. And for fucks sake, Brockers, you need to wake up.
znModeratorWhat did Spielman say?
He said today the Rams have been exposed as the frauds that they are.
Then he raised is fist into the air, yelled “Hail Satan!”, and jumped through the window of the broadcast booth and plummeted to his death on the seats below.
You know, just the standard football rhetoric.
Yes but BEFORE that he said something—which I kinda caught, kinda didn’t—about how the Lions (or, Patz D midwest) were recognizing and reacting to Rams plays which normally catch teams off-guard. One key to the Rams success on offense is running so many different plays from a more limited set of formations, so you cannot tell most of the time ahead of the snap what the play will be. Worse, the formations point to contradictory plays. So for example the Rams run almost exclusively out of formations with Goff under center, but then the same formations lead to a ton of play action calls. Spielman offered most of this in response to the 2 nearly picked off screens. He pointed out that they were nearly picked off because the Lions defenders read screen and pulled up to be in a position to interfere with the play. This could only mean they read the screens in progress and had been prepped to see them. Spielman’s thing, then, was that with the Rams, you have to react to plays unfolding, not to what the pre-snap looks say. I suppose learning to do that and act on it instantly in real time is not all that easy.
….
znModeratorEarlier this season, Gurley swung fantasy matchups and betting fortunes by intentionally stopping short of the end zone on a play in which he could’ve scored a touchdown, instead opting to allow the Rams to win a game by kneeling out the clock. Some swooned at the superstar’s ultimate display of unselfishness, passing up the chance to score to give his team a better shot at winning. (As we all know, winners never pay attention to their personal stats. Oh, by the way, please ignore that entire section about how the universally acknowledged greatest quarterback of all time has spent years fantasizing about an obscure rushing milestone.)
Sunday, Gurley one-upped himself.
Once again, Gurley stopped short of the end zone, passing up a touchdown and driving fantasy owners into despair. (After all, this week was the final week of the fantasy football regular season.)
One problem, though: Gurley probably shoulda just scored. His non-score came with over two minutes remaining in a one-score game. His Rams couldn’t run out the clock—they had to score again to seal the game. Because of Gurley’s short stop, the Rams had to run two more offensive plays, running the risk of a botched snap or fumble that could’ve given the Lions life.
Everything worked out OK: Gurley punched in a touchdown two plays later. The Rams won, and Gurley put up 28.5 fantasy points, probably getting all his fantasy owners into the playoffs. But I’m worried Gurley is going a little bit too far in his attempts to appear unselfish. I appreciate the critical thinking that has led him to stop short, but most of the time scoring a touchdown is the best thing to do.
znModerator
znModeratorRefocused, NFL Week 13: Los Angeles Rams 30, Detroit Lions 16
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-refocused-nfl-week-13-los-angeles-rams-30-detroit-lions-16
Los Angeles Rams
Jared Goff had an uncharacteristic bad day against the Lions. The Los Angeles quarterback was off target on multiple occasions, as he barely completed more than 50 percent of his throws. Furthermore, he also put the ball in harm’s way, fumbling once and throwing an interception while he was fortunate not to see a batted pass returned for a touchdown.
With the struggles of Goff, it was up to running back Todd Gurley to carry the Rams’ offense and delivered against Detroit. Gurley was useful both in the running game and the passing game and broke multiple tackles on his way to 165 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns.
Star interior defensive lineman Aaron Donald had an outstanding game, as he was too much to handle for the Detroit offensive line. Donald recorded two sacks, including one where he forced a fumble on Matthew Stafford. He was tough to move in the running game, as well.
While cornerback Aqib Talib returned from injury, he played just 26 snaps against Detroit. Talib was not tested heavily in his limited playing time, as he allowed just one reception on two targets against the Lions.
Detroit Lions
Interior defensive lineman Damon Harrison once again showed why Detroit traded for him earlier this season. Harrison, as usual, made multiple plays against the run; however, he also recorded a strip-sack today when he took advantage of Goff climbing too far up in the pocket.
Like Harrison, A’Shawn Robinson also had an outstanding game on the Detroit defensive line. Robinson was one of the key reasons why Gurley had to fight for every yard, as Detroit won the battle in the trenches against the Rams’ offensive line.
Stafford didn’t have his best game on Sunday afternoon. He had a fumble where he did not secure the football as he was sacked by Donald. In addition, while he threw just one interception at the end of the game, he had multiple dropped interceptions, as Troy Hill had a chance to return one of Stafford’s passes for Kenny Golladay for a touchdown.
Detroit’s interior offensive line had a tough day against the Rams’ defensive line. Guards Kenny Wiggins and Frank Ragnow and center Graham Glasgow all struggled to keep the Rams interior defensive linemen in check as they wreaked havoc both as pass-rushers and against the run.
Keys to the Game
Los Angeles
Even though the Rams’ offensive line and Goff struggled on Sunday afternoon, Los Angeles was able to overcome this thanks to the work of their defensive line and Gurley.
Detroit
The Detroit interior offensive line was not up to the task to slow down the Rams’ defensive line, as they made life hard on the Lions running backs and Stafford.
December 3, 2018 at 9:32 am in reply to: Donald = ‘285 pounds of dynamite’ (the AD in November thread) #94802znModeratorAaron Donald's ability to beat double teams on the regular is something I've never seen before. He either rushes so wide the center can't help or he just does this, and splits the double team. It's rare. He needs to get MVP votes.pic.twitter.com/e2v2oN06Lv
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 3, 2018
December 3, 2018 at 1:20 am in reply to: Donald = ‘285 pounds of dynamite’ (the AD in November thread) #94798znModerator*
Just to be sure his instincts aren’t betraying him, Goff will usually seek out the head judge of the referee crew and, as Goff tells it, casually ask: “How’s No. 99 look?” The answer never disappoints.
“They’ll be like … ‘He’s the best I’ve ever seen,’ ” Goff said.*
Sullivan told The Athletic. “He wrecks games…For an interior player who’s getting double-teamed as much as he is, for him to be leading the league in sacks is just … that’s unheard of. I’ve never heard of that in over a decade of playing in the NFL. I’ve never seen a guy that just dominates a game, every game, as consistently as he is.”
We’re running out of ways to praise this guy.
December 2, 2018 at 11:37 pm in reply to: Donald = ‘285 pounds of dynamite’ (the AD in November thread) #94796znModeratorDonald’s Outrageous Play Making a Case for MVP
https://www.therams.com/news/donald-s-outrageous-play-making-a-case-for-mvp
==
Aaron Donald’s NFL MVP candidacy deserves to be taken seriously
Vincent Bonsignore
DETROIT — Jared Goff trusts his football knowledge enough to know he is seeing something unique, something special, in Aaron Donald, the Rams’ human wrecking ball whose ferocity on defense has been so dominant and so influential that there is no longer a justifiable reason to keep him out of the discussion for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.
In an era where the game has been constructed and adjudicated to allow offenses to thrive more than ever, the best player in football is Donald, a defensive tackle who stands a shade over six foot and who fitly carries around his 285 pounds in a way that makes him seem small compared to the mammoths he lines up alongside and against.
Yet, as Donald showed once again on Sunday by coming up with huge plays to lead the Rams to a 30-16 win over the Detroit Lions — a victory that secured a second straight NFC West Division title and a one-game lead over the New Orleans Saints for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs — he is the biggest giant in his sport right now.
“You talk about a guy that … man, he’s a freak,” Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks told The Athletic. “It’s kind of like words can’t explain it.”
Donald is, hands down, the single most destructive player in the game. And he makes his presence felt by playing an interior defensive line position for which double teams are a way of life and creating pressure on the quarterback is supposed to be the exception not the norm.
Donald has racked up a league-leading 16.5 sacks, forced four fumbles (two of which he recovered), thrown 20 ball carriers for losses and hit the quarterback 32 times.
“Dominant,” marveled Rams outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. “You can’t stop him.”
Goff, in his football heart, knows all of this. He has seen it over and over again whether by lining up against Donald in practice or watching in awe from the sidelines during games as Donald single-handedly destroys opposing offenses.
But on those frequent afternoons Donald is in an especially havoc-wreaking mood by splitting double teams, bull-rushing guards, demolishing tackles and throwing around quarterbacks and running backs like they were rag dolls, Goff will find affirmation from somebody a little more in the know.
Just to be sure his instincts aren’t betraying him, Goff will usually seek out the head judge of the referee crew and, as Goff tells it, casually ask: “How’s No. 99 look?” The answer never disappoints.
“They’ll be like … ‘He’s the best I’ve ever seen,’ ” Goff said.
Sunday was one of those days.
The Rams were stuck in second gear offensively against the undermanned Lions and, as a result, Detroit stuck around way longer than expected. The Lions trailed 16-13 with just under 10 minutes remaining and had possession of the ball with a chance to take the lead.
Donald decided enough was enough. On first down from the Lions’ 42-yard line, he chased down quarterback Matthew Stafford for a sack and, while taking him to the ground, managed to jog the ball loose for a fumble that the Rams recovered at the Detroit 24. Three plays later, Todd Gurley rumbled 13 yards for a touchdown to put the Rams up 23-13 and essentially wrap up the division crown.
On the Rams sideline, center John Sullivan walked up to offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and said: “Aaron Donald is a nightmare for an offense.”
Sullivan is absolutely right. And it’s high time we stopped qualifying what Donald is doing by limiting the scope to one side of the ball.
The truth is, the sheer dominance Donald is displaying is altering entire games. His five tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and three tackles for losses on Sunday certainly did.
“I’ve never played with a guy like that,” Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman said. “And yes, he should be applauded and rewarded to the highest degree of awards.”
“The way he rushes the quarterback. The way he plays the run. The way he demands a double team. I mean, every single game you have to be aware of where he is,” Sullivan told The Athletic. “He wrecks games. He changes momentum frequently.
“For an interior player who’s getting double-teamed as much as he is, for him to be leading the league in sacks is just … that’s unheard of. I’ve never heard of that in over a decade of playing in the NFL. I’ve never seen a guy that just dominates a game, every game, as consistently as he is.”
Which is why he should be given serious consideration for MVP. Of course, doing that means voters bucking the trend of giving the award to offensive players.
The last five MVPs were quarterbacks, and you’d have to go all the way back to 1986 to find the last defensive player to win the award. That would be New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor. Before that, Vikings defensive end Alan Page won it in 1971.
Taylor and Page are the only two defensive players to have won league MVP, which has been around since 1957. With the season Donald is putting together, he just might join them.
“Strip sacks. Big tackles for loss,” marveled Rams safety John Johnson. “Sometimes we get in a bad situation on second down and he makes up for it by getting a tackle for a loss. It’s crazy.”
“I know everyone likes to see touchdowns and all that good stuff,” Fowler Jr. said. “But you have to look at the other side of the ball and see what Aaron Donald’s been doing all season.”
Of Donald’s 16.5 sacks, 11.5 have come in the second half of games and 7.5 have occurred in the fourth quarter. That’s typically the time when teams close out games.
“He’s forcing turnovers. He’s getting there at the most important times,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “And that’s what we talk about all the time, that competitive greatness. Being your best when your best is required and he’s kind of the epitome of that right now for our defense and really a guy that represents that for our football team.”
Donald has been especially good on third downs to force opponents off the field or make them settle for field goals. He has racked up 7.5 of his sacks on those money downs that typically change the course of games.
“And how many of those are sack fumbles that we recovered the ball?” Sullivan said. “It’s huge. And he does it at the biggest times of the game.”
Isn’t altering and affecting and sometimes dictating the outcome of games the very essence of an MVP?
“My mind is like that every game, I want to make that big play every play,” Donald said. “Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. That is what we need to keep doing. Many guys are doing it, if you have a lot of guys flying around making plays, you get good things out of it.”
The Rams are definitely getting contributions across the board. Goff and Gurley also warrant MVP consideration. The Rams are an NFL-best 11-1 and control their own destiny for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. There are a handful of reasons why they sit atop the NFL.
But with each victory and each dominant performance, Donald has rightfully forced his way into the discussion. And it’s time his MVP candidacy is taken more seriously.
“There’s certain players who have a dramatic effect and he’s one of those guys,” Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth told The Athletic. “Much like a quarterback or a receiver or running back that you talk about in the MVP conversation. He has had some games where he’s had to have a moment and he’s won the game for us.”znModeratorVincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
People keep sleeping on the #Rams wins over the #Seahawks and #Chargers. Three wins over really quality teams.Of the #Rams players I spoke to today, while they would have been hyped no matter how they clinched the division title they were particularly happy to take care of business on their own with a win
Dante Fowler with #Rams in four games: 13 tackles, two sacks, four tackles for losses five QB hits. Previous seven games with Jaguars: 9, 2, 1, 1.
Ethan Hanson@EthanAHanson
Long story short, Aaron Donald is already a Hall of Famer.Eric Dickerson@EricDickerson
Congratulations to my @RamsNFL! Consecutive division titles for the 1st time in 39 years. Very proud of this team!Myles Simmons@MylesASimmons
#LARams RB Todd Gurley recorded his sixth game with at least 150 yards from scrimmage this season today. Gurley had 23 carries for 132 yards plus three receptions for 33 yards. His two rushing touchdowns gave him a new career high of 15 rushing TDs in a season.D’Marco Farr@DMarcoFarr1
Not to single out just one guy but this season Austin Blythe has played about as well as any RG in the game. Hard to remember he was a backup coming into 2018. -
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