The Return of a Legend
Aaron Donald is back on the field, and his presence made an immediate impact. Playing his first game since the 2023 season, the defensive tackle helped the Los Angeles Rams secure a 28-6 win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium. Donald had come out of retirement on August 30.
The stadium erupted when Donald ran out of the tunnel. He admitted he did more jumping than usual before the game, calling the fans' reception special. Rams coach Sean McVay said that anyone who did not get chills from the introduction was not alive.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was also highly motivated by Donald's return. Stafford said he was so excited after watching Donald run out that he could not control himself.
Performance and Stats
Donald ended the game with three tackles, one tackle for a loss, and zero pressures. He played 32 snaps, which was 58.2% of the defensive snaps for the Rams.
When asked if Donald was on a limited snap count, McVay joked that you would have to be the one to tell Donald to come out of the game.
Donald said he felt a little sore afterward and had a wrap on his right hand, which he described as just a little sore. He noted that he had only two practices before playing the game. He felt some rust early on, but things slowed down for him in the second half.
Defensive Impact
Even without recording a pressure himself, Donald's presence helped the entire defense. The Rams achieved a 66.7% pass rush win rate against the Giants, meaning they beat their blocks within 2.5 seconds on two thirds of their rushes.
This was a massive improvement from Week 1, where the team had a pass rush win rate of just 35% in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. McVay said Donald brings everyone up around him, and his energy was a major factor in the win.
McVay also took some blame for the Week 1 loss, suggesting that poor travel plans had put the team in a bad spot.
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