Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald led the NFL with 20.5 sacks during the regular season and keeping him from adding to that total will be part of New England’s game plan in Super Bowl LIII.
Given the way they’ve protected Tom Brady so far this postseason, their chances of pulling it off don’t look too bad. Brady has not been sacked in the team’s two games and he has only been pressured 11 times while attempting 90 passes, so it won’t be an easy task for Donald to get in Brady’s face.
On Monday night, Donald noted that he’s “just a piece of the puzzle” and that all 11 players have a role in pressuring the quarterback. He also noted the need for the defense to persevere as the game unfolds on Sunday.
“We’ll get to him,” Donald said. “We’ll get to him eventually. Just can’t get frustrated and keep doing our job. We’ve got a great secondary, and they’re going to do their job and lock people down. They’re going to give us opportunities. They’re going to make him hold the ball, and we’re going to have opportunities to get after him. We just got to get him down.”
Even if the Rams can’t get Brady down, Donald stressed the need to pressure Brady and make him get rid of the ball earlier than he’d prefer to throw it. The Patriots make that difficult and the Rams’ ability to find a way to break through will go a long way toward determining their chances of winning this weekend.