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Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald sacks the Panthers’ Cam Newton during their NFL game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, Saturday, November 6, 2016. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/SCNG)
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/201...ms-dt-aaron-donald-does-things-i-cannot-coach
THOUSAND OAKS >> Geno Atkins. Gerald McCoy. John Randle.
Those are just a few of the names whom Aaron Donald was compared to before and during his rookie season — a trifecta that has combined for 15 Pro Bowls. Halfway through his third season, and it’s clear that the Rams’ star defensive tackle could end his career as the best of the bunch.
Which is why Gregg Williams never took the bait. In 2014, the media pestered him for comparisons; he declined. In 2015, he did so ago. On Friday, he explained that he had done so to allow Donald — now arguably the best player in the NFL — to chart a path for himself.
“He is his own guy, and he does things I cannot coach,” Williams said. “I can help, maybe speed up a decision – but he has instincts that are rare.
“Not only does he have athletic ability and strength, height and weight and things, but he has instincts that you don’t come around very much. He’s been playing very well, especially as emphasis on offensive protections and emphasis in blocking schemes are going toward him, he’s still being able to find a way to beat it.”
Donald’s impact on the game wasn’t fully captured through the first three weeks of the season, when he went without a sack despite generating constant pressure on the pocket. That’s changed since the start of October. He broke the drought with 1.5 sacks in a road win over the Cardinals, a total that he matched again through his next two outings.
Last Sunday, the Rams lost despite his brilliance. Against the Panthers, Donald notched two sacks, both of which could’ve made a difference if the offense had been more capable. His first — on third-and-nine at the Rams’ 30 — dropped quarterback Cam Newton back 10 yards, knocking Carolina out of field-goal range. The second, which came early in the fourth quarter, forced the Panthers to settle for three points — and likely would’ve caused a fumble on almost anyone other than Newton.
“Just consistent week after week after week,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said of Donald. “The tackles for losses and the pressure that he’s putting on the passer, the hits on the quarterbacks, they’re just consistent week after week. It’s amazing to see him play at that level every single play – come out, catch his breath, go back in and make another play.”
Donald began by becoming the Defensive Rookie of the Year and making back-to-back Pro Bowls. At 25 years old, can he officially claim the title of being the league’s top defensive player?
The absence of injured Texans star J.J. Watt, who claimed the award in three of the last four seasons, helps Donald’s chances. But also in the race with the Rams’ defensive lineman are such players as Broncos linebacker Von Miller — who has 9.5 sacks — or Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters, who has a league-high five interceptions.
“I’d vote for him,” Fisher said of Donald. “There are a lot of good defensive players in the league right now. Obviously, I’m a lot closer to him than anybody else is, but when you watch the things that he does, it’s really remarkable. We’ll see what happens.”
