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 by /zn/
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   6758  
 Joined:  Jun 28 2015
United States of America   Maine
Hall of Fame

snackdaddy wrote:I didn't sleep all that well last night so I got up late. I'm kinda groggy this morning. Coffee hasn't kicked in yet. So I'll keep it simple. Aaron Donald is really, really good. 8-)


I've heard that.

Maybe one day Aaron Donald jokes will replace Chuck Norris jokes.

Like this: Aaron Donald has a trophy rug of an African lion. It's not dead, though--it's just afraid to move.

...

 by phoenixrising
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   816  
 Joined:  Aug 05 2016
United States of America   Arroyo Grande, CA
Veteran

I remember Rams fans defending Chris Long's lack of sacks at the time by saying "He's double-teamed all the time." I'd focus on him during the games and he really was rarely doubled. So think it's just something people assume for a good player.

My perception is AD does see a lot of double teams. In fact my most memorable highlight is when he beats two OL sequentially--one after the other--and it barely slowed him down. And sometimes he's just so quick it's difficult to get a double-team on him. Often on double teams the two OL's just seem to be getting in each other's way.

In fact I was thinking a while back about who to double-team on the Rams interior this year. I almost think it would be more effective to single AD since he defeats double-teams so frequently and focus the double team on Suh or Brockers.

 by /zn/
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   6758  
 Joined:  Jun 28 2015
United States of America   Maine
Hall of Fame

Just some added thoughts from a 2017 article that still holds true.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/p ... o-the-rule

from PFF: Aaron Donald is the exception to the rule

...

Since entering the NFL, Donald has not only held up versus double teams, he’s also been able to make plays despite them. As with anything in football there are multiple ways to get the same job done. A couple months back I wrote about how Damon Harrison dominated doubles by attacking the point man then throwing him to the side. Donald often takes a different approach. With his size/speed combination, he has three things he can use to his advantage: quickness, leverage and lack of a strike zone. This allows him to knife into the sweet spot of a double team and not let either linemen engage him cleanly. On the play below you can see how it’s done.



Donald gets skinny from the snap, making the right guard’s contact inconsequential. It also leaves the right tackle a tiny area to engage. Combine that with the speed that Donald comes off the ball, and the right tackle has little to no shot of actually getting Donald cleanly. Nearly the exact same thing happens again in the play below.



This isn’t simply a case of highlight reel scouting though, Donald took only nine downgrades against double teams in the run game all season long. That’s a tiny bit more than one every two games. Compare that with the fact that Donald made 30 total stops against the run and you have one of the most complete run defenders in the game.

When we talk about Aaron Donald though, much like in the pre-draft process, his ability in run defense should be an afterthought. The man gets to quarterbacks more often, and with more speed, than any other interior defender in the NFL. And it’s not even close.

The same traits that Donald uses to his advantage against double teams are also his calling card as a pass rusher. He’s always the low man and with his speed and small stature, offensive linemen struggle mightily to land a meaningful punch. Because of all that, no one in the league has more decisive pressures.


 by aeneas1
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   16894  
 Joined:  Sep 13 2015
United States of America   Norcal
Hall of Fame

phoenixrising wrote:I remember Rams fans defending Chris Long's lack of sacks at the time by saying "He's double-teamed all the time." I'd focus on him during the games and he really was rarely doubled. So think it's just something people assume for a good player.

and i think that's the case with most high profile d-linemen, including donald... for example the above post shows two examples of donald being doubled teamed, and more examples of him not... go to you tube and type in aaron donald highlights, the vast majority are donald one on one, especially sacks... again, this isn't a bust on donald, it's football math, split an edge guy wide of the ot, put a t/nt in the 0 shade, and who's going to double team a 3-tech? add a lightning quick 3-tech guy who has the green light to freelance to the mix and double-teaming becomes even more difficult, unless your game plan is to commit a rb/fb/te, and/or trap all day.

hell, defensive schemes are specifically designed to prevent doubling up on a guy all day... i guess some consider a whiff by a second guy who tries to help out at the eleventh hour, after the defender has shot the gap, a double team, or a trap/wham play where a bunch of blockers plow a gap and converge on the first guy they see, any first guy, but that's not double/triple teaming to me.

that said, donald is a beast, the best in the league, he keeps defensive coordinators up at night, and he's a guy that every offensive player has to account for.

 by /zn/
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   6758  
 Joined:  Jun 28 2015
United States of America   Maine
Hall of Fame

Again though. In this thread we have one person who looked at every snap and counted (it's an article that's quoted). And they have Donald being doubled at a higher percentage than any other DT last year.

Sacks are more likely to happen when he isn't doubled, though when he is doubled, other defenders are given a better chance. So it's win/win for the defense.

Leaving backs and TEs deliberately placed in the backfield as blockers out of it, with AD at 3-technique, the only way to make sure he isn't doubled is to put someone over the OT on his side, and that wouldn't necessarily work either if the TE moves to that side.

"I think he was a little rusty when he came in, just football-wise, but after that he's been a dynamo. He's not superhuman, but he's almost unstoppable. People try to double-team him, they try to triple-team him, all those things, and he still makes plays and pressures the quarterback. We know the sacks, but the pressures -- I mean, he's pressured the quarterback multiple times more than anyone else in the league, and it isn't close. So that just shows what he can do." -- Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips

 by aeneas1
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   16894  
 Joined:  Sep 13 2015
United States of America   Norcal
Hall of Fame

speaking of sacks, damn those ice cream unis made our guys look big, of course they didn't need white unis for that...


 by /zn/
5 years 7 months ago
 Total posts:   6758  
 Joined:  Jun 28 2015
United States of America   Maine
Hall of Fame

Just for fun, here;s more.

From https://www.sbnation.com/2017/12/20/167 ... -out-fools

...

He is so damn quick and coordinated with his hands and feet that even with all-22 I frequently have to slow it down to really appreciate he’s doing. And even when I do see it, sometimes I can hardly believe my eyes.

Donald has been a monster since he first got to the league, just as I predicted he would be. Until this season the Rams, didn't have much to show for his stellar play. This year, I wasn't sure how Donald would hold up in the new 3-4 defense that Wade Phillips brought to the team, even one that doesn't rely heavily on two-gapping.

I shouldn't have been worried at all. There are some players players who are so good, it doesn’t matter what scheme you play them in.

Donald definitely fits that description.

Heading into Sunday's game against the Seahawks, the Rams had already won at least nine games for the first time since 2003(!). Their turnaround on offense has gotten a lot of the attention and credit for their success this season, but Donald's performance has had a lot to do with it too.

You can call it coincidence if you want, but before Sunday the Rams hadn't lost a single game this season when Donald had at least one sack (7-0).
On the flip side, they've only won one game this season when he didn't have any sacks after he ended his holdout in Week 2 (1-4).

It was imperative for Donald to have a big day if the Rams were going to beat Seattle.

This was going to be the first time the Rams faced the Seahawks this late in the season since Donald got to the league where both teams had so much on the line.

The key to beating the Seahawks is finding a way to neutralize Russell Wilson. What L.A. really needed was for Donald to go Super Saiyan on that ass.

And, oh boy, did he!

Donald didn't waste any time making his presence felt

On the Seahawks' second drive they faced a third-and-12 at their own 23-yard line. Donald lined up as the left three-technique on right guard Ethan Pocic's outside shoulder. Connor Barwin was lined up outside of him as the left defensive end/outside linebacker on the outside shoulder of left tackle Germain Ifedi.

Donald charged off the ball like a blue, gold, and white Ferrari and easily chopped right guard Pocic's outside arm down with his inside hand when Pocic tried to punch. As he was doing this, Donald also turned his hips toward the quarterback and stepped across with his inside foot to gain upfield leverage on Pocic. Donald went from the chop right to a rip with his inside under Pocic's outside arm. Pocic was pretty done at that point, but for Ifedi using his inside arm to help out Pocic and stiff arm Donald in the face.

Donald and Barwin, who was lined up in a wide five, were actually running a TEX game. Barwin took four hard steps upfield to try to keep Ifedi's attention, but because most guards need help with Donald, Ifedi reflexively stuck his hand out just in case.

It didn't matter because Donald fought right through Ifedi's hand in his face, but I want to remind you that normally pass rush games are set up to get two defensive linemen on one offensive lineman and force that offensive lineman to make a choice; either keep blocking the guy you started off blocking and hope the free guy trips, or try to come off of and block the looper and hope someone else picks up the guy they were initially blocking. Doesn't really matter who he chooses, though, because when it’s run right, the guy they don't choose should always be free to the quarterback.

What you hardly ever see is the guy getting double teamed still get to the quarterback before the unblocked guy, but that is exactly what happened here.

Even after Ifedi turned to help with Donald after he saw Barwin loop inside, Donald was still able to beat Pocic by powering through Pocic's outside with his rip move. Donald got to Wilson first to take him down for a loss of eight yards, even though Barwin was literally untouched on the play.

It was going to be that kind of day for Seattle.

Donald is such a beast as a pass rusher, he can't help but make the guys around him better

A play he made, but technically didn't make, perfectly illustrates that.

Seattle had a second-and-20 at their own 10-yard line. Donald was again lined up as the left three-technique on Pocic's outside shoulder. On the snap, Donald took two hard steps upfield and then came back inside to the A gap with a jab ole.

What differentiates Donald's jab ole from most of his fellow interior linemen is that he's able to gain ground upfield with his footwork when he goes inside, instead of just moving laterally.

Because of this and his uncanny quickness for a guy his size, Donald was able to easily beat Pocic with a quick arm over, and he was upfield so fast that when center Justin Britt tried to slide over to help, Donald already had him beat.

Donald was able to split Pocic and Britt and power through both of them for a clean win, but when Wilson saw him coming he decided he best get while the getting was good.

Donald's defensive linemates, nose tackle Michael Brockers and defensive end Matt Longacre, both had Christmas come early as Donald's pressure forced Wilson to step up right into their waiting arms.


There isn't a stat for what Donald did on that play (maybe there should be), but there's no denying he helped Brockers and Longacre get that sack.

There aren't many defensive tackles in the league now, or maybe ever, who could win so cleanly against a center who slides in their direction the way Donald did on that play. That kid is special!

And he was far from finished.

Donald’s coldest move (sorry, Luke Joekel)

With 2:35 left in the first quarter the Seahawks were facing third-and-8 from midfield. This time Donald was actually lined up as the right three-technique on the outside shoulder of left guard Luke Joekel.

What Donald did to Joekel on this play should be illegal in all 50 states. You really don't get how cold of a move it was until you see it slowed down from the end zone angle.

First, Donald initially came off the ball with two hard steps upfield like he was going with a speed rush. Then, he re-directed and went right at Joekel off that second step as if he was going to try to run Joekel right over.

Instead of actually bullrushing Joekel, Donald took a step inside and mushed Joekel in his face (they didn't call it, so it’s legal) with his inside hand. Somehow, Donald was able to simultaneously use his outside hand to engage Joekel's outside wrist and keep Joekel from getting his outside hand on him.

Yes, that's a mouthful, but I'm not done.

When an offensive linemen gets pushed they tend to want to meet force with force; Donald was betting on that. When Joekel tried to push back against Donald mushing him in the face, Donald planted his feet, violently clubbed Joekel's outside shoulder with his outside hand, stepped back outside by crossing over with his inside foot, stopped mushing Joekel in the face with his inside hand and instead used it for an arm over.

All in the blink of an eye ...

Make it so bad, Britt was trying to slide over to help Joekel out, but Donald ended the move with such a flourish that Joekel ended up falling right into Britt.

Make it so bad part two, Donald didn't even get a sack on the play. He did end up with a pressure forcing Wilson to miss a pretty wide open Paul Richardson on a slant, however.

Sack or pressure, it was an impressive ass play regardless. And if you blinked you probably missed it.

Delaying the inevitable

On his second sack of the afternoon, Donald was once again lined up as the right three-technique across from Joekel.

This time it was Joekel's turn to try to block Donald's jab ole inside move, and it didn't go any better than it had with Pocic. Britt was able to slide over this time and bump Donald out just enough to give Wilson a lane to scramble, but it only delayed the inevitable.

Wilson escaped Barwin's clutches, and he tried to reverse back out to his right, oblivious to the fact that Donald was over there. Donald tracked Wilson down and slung him around so hard that he forced a fumble that rolled so far it went it went out of bounds. The Seahawks ended up with a 16-yard loss on the play.

You have to see it to believe it

With the Rams already up 34-0 at halftime, Donald didn't play much in the second half. But he did have one big play left in him before he left the game.

Seattle had a first-and-10 from their own 31-yard line. I'm sure Joekel was tired of seeing him at this point, but there Donald was lined up across from him again as the right three-technique.

This was another example of a play where you really needed the end zone view slowed down to see exactly how Donald beat Joekel. Donald came off and turned his hips to the QB almost immediately, and he looked as if he was going to try to swipe Joekel's punch attempt.

However, instead of Donald just knocking Joekel's wrist to the side the way someone normally would with a swiper move, Donald grabbed Joekel's wrists.

I am not sure what words I could used to accurately describe how hard it is to grab an offensive lineman's wrists like that when they are trying to punch you in your chest, but just know plenty of your favorite defensive linemen couldn't do it consistently.

You really have to focus to catch it, because Donald didn't hold Joekel's wrists for long. He just used Joekel's wrist as kind of like handle bars to push Joekel back for a step or two. Once he got Joekel going backwards Donald knew he would once again try to fight force with force. The second Joekel dug in was the moment Donald transitioned into a rip move.

Joekel was, at that moment, the finest of barbecue chicken.

Even though Joekel damn near had Donald in a rear naked choke after Donald's rip move and even though the refs didn't call it, Donald simply was not going to be denied on that play. He powered right on through Joekel's li’l clothesline attempt, turned a tight corner, and took Wilson once again, this time for a loss of 6 yards.

A couple weeks back I talked about DeMarcus Lawrence having training tape technique. You can watch all the Donald film that you want, but there is some shit he does that most people won't ever be able to replicate. Yes, I am including among "most people" some of your favorite pass rushers.

...


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18 posts Mar 29 2024