The Los Angeles Rams may have Aaron Donald back where they want him just in time for Monday night’s matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
Head coach Sean McVay said the “hope” is that Donald will play on Monday against the Bills. “That’s the direction it looks like it’s trending in,” McVay said.
That would be a welcome turn after Donald surfaced on last week’s injury report with a sore back. McVay said the issue popped up after the game against the Denver Broncos, and the team chose to be cautious with him. Donald missed practice all week and was ultimately ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported late last week that he understood the injury to be relatively minor, with the Rams holding Donald out in hopes that the back would improve and put him in a better spot long-term. The bigger picture, as the team sees it, is keeping Donald available in December and January rather than forcing him through a Week 4 game in October.
Even without Donald, the Rams held their own up front against the Eagles. Kobie Turner and Byron Young stepped into bigger roles, with Young credited for eight pressures by NFL Pro and a 27.6 percent pressure rate. Turner added five pressures, and Braden Fiske was credited with six.
That kind of production speaks to the depth the Rams have built on the defensive line. With Young, Turner, and Fiske carrying the load, Los Angeles put together one of its best defensive performances of the season.
Donald’s return would matter even more with Josh Allen and the Bills coming to town. Through four weeks, Donald has yet to record a sack, and his 7.1 percent pressure rate ranks 92nd among qualified defensive linemen. Still, he sits second among interior defensive linemen in pass rush win rate at 21.4 percent, behind only Gervon Dexter.
The raw numbers suggest the big plays are coming. Once it fully clicks for Donald again, the Rams believe the sacks and impact plays will follow. After a week off, Monday night could be the stage for him to start making that kind of noise against a tough opponent.
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