Rams' defense struggles with injury hindering Donald

As Los Angeles Rams’ fate became distressingly clear in final minutes of Saturday’s game, cameras showed a tearful Aaron Donald on sideline.

unanimous All-Pro defensive tackle h worked tirelessly to play after a rib injury kcked him out of a playoff victory at Seattle a week earlier, but he clearly wasn’t himself and h just one assisted tackle.

Without Donald in peak form, NFL’s top defense simply couldn’t slow down league’s highest-scoring offense. Green Bay Packers scored on ir first five series and beat Rams 32-18 in NFC divisional playoffs.

“I love Aaron Donald,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “It means a lot to him. It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t at full strength today.”

Green Bay scored an NFL-leing 31.8 points per game during regular season, while Rams ranked atop league in most defensive categories. This marked first time . 1 scoring offense and . 1 scoring defense from regular season matched up in postseason since New England’s defense stifled Atlanta’s high-powered offense down stretch in Super Bowl on Feb. 5, 2017.

Yet this heavyweight matchup between Packers’ offense and Rams’ defense was more like a mismatch for much of day.

Los Angeles h produced an NFL-leing 53 sacks during regular season and produced five more at Seattle last week, but Rams couldn’t sack Aaron Rodgers a single time Saturday. Green Bay’s pass rush produced highlights inste, with Packers sacking Jared Goff four times.

Rams hn’t allowed a single run from scrimm of over 27 yards all season. Green Bay’s Aaron Jones burst through middle for a 60-yard gain on first play of second half.

Los Angeles hn’t given up more than 390 total yards or 136 yards rushing all season. Packers gained 484 yards overall and ran for 188.

“You have one of greatest quarterbacks to ever play this game, one of greatest receivers to play this game, a great running back in Aaron Jones,” Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “y just use all ir guys. y me field super big. You have to defend every inch as far as laterally.”

Rams also h some uncharacteristic mistakes on defense to help Green Bay out.

Green Bay’s first touchdown drive included a personal foul on Donald, who grabbed left guard Elgton Jenkins’ face mask as two of m tangled after whistle. Troy Hill couldn’t hang onto a potential interception in end zone that would have prevented Packers from ding a field goal just before halftime.

Those errors proved costly on a day when Rams h margin for error.

“I feel like it was a perfect storm,” Rams safety John Johnson said. “Every week, you have a plan. You trust in it. You believe in it 100% by time you get to Saturday or Sunday. And sometimes it just doesn’t work out. We didn’t execute to a high eugh level that we needed to.”

Rams needed a big day from ir defense because ir offense was missing injured receiver Cooper Kupp and left guard David Edwards. Goff went 21 of 27 for 174 yards and a touchdown less than three weeks after undergoing thumb surgery, while Cam Akers closed his productive rookie season by rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown.

Los Angeles’ defense did settle down eugh to give Rams a chance to tie it late. Rams got ball at ir own 6-yard line trailing 25-18 early in fourth quarter, but y couldn’t move it beyond ir 32 before punting.

Rams forced a potential game-changing fumble by A.J. Dillon in Packers territory, but Rodgers recovered. Three plays later, Rodgers hit Allen Lazard for a clinching 58-yard touchdown with 6:52 left.

That touchdown me it clear Rams’ bid for a second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons would fall short. disappointment was apparent from Donald’s tearful reaction.

“I promise you with this injury, he’ll be working out next week,” Brockers said. “I promise you he’ll be doing something next week. But for him to just feel like he gave everything he h, and he almost felt like he was hindered a little bit with injury and stuff like that.

“I've just got to talk to him and let him kw, ‘Man, that’s t on you. That’s t on you. re’s reason why you have to feel that way, like you failed us or anything like that. You gave us everything you h. You are reason why we’re here.’”

Im credits :AP