The 2-0 Rams face the 2-0 Bills in Buffalo on Sunday, and the team from L.A. is bracing for its first experience for the phenomenon that is quarterback Josh Allen.
“He’s a big quarterback that’s mobile, that plays hard,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald told reporters on Thursday. “He will run through you, run past you, and he will make you miss. He can do it all. So when you get him you better come with your big boy pads and find a way to get him to the ground. You have to play physical, you’ve got to play hard and you’ve got to be the physical guy when it comes to getting him down.”
So who do the Rams compare Allen to?
“I guess like a Cam Newton, a bigger guy that can do a lot of things,” Donald said. “I would say similar, you know, different as far as body size and all that.”
Rams safety Josh Johnson made a different comparison.
“He’s like the rebirth of Ben Roethlisberger,” Johnson said, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com.
Donald shared with reporters a glimpse of the team’s plan for knocking Allen off his rhythm.
“That’s putting pressure on him, getting to him, hitting him” Donald said. “Not letting him sit back there, not letting him be comfortable. That’s on us that’s up front to find a way to put pressure on him, find a way to be in his face so he can’t get those clean throws, to the point where we’re trying to make it a tough day for him.”
If the Rams don’t make it a tough day for Allen, Allen will make it a tough day for the Rams, with improved throwing and a relentless running style that puts Allen at risk, but that also puts anyone who tries to tackle him at equal if not greater risk.