Rams DT Aaron Donald can make it a long day for Tom Brady

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The New England Patriots may gameplan to stop Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald, but even the best plan may not be good enough to stop the best defensive player in the NFL.

If you’re New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, preparing mentally to see Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald on the defensive side of scrimmage will be a significant task. If you’re head coach Bill Belichick, you know that if AD wins the battle and gets a lot of hands and hits on TB12, you can count on a second straight loss in a Super Bowl.

That’s how great Donald is, how much the Patriots will focus on slowing him down, and how he alone can swing a game, even in the Super Bowl.

It’s not a complicated formula for the Rams when it comes to how they can win on Sunday. It’s also not a complicated to know what the Patriots will do for them to win a sixth Lombardi Trophy.

As much as has been made about Los Angeles on offense, it’s been a tremendous defensive effort in the playoffs that has gotten the Rams to Atlanta. Even with the emergence of veteran Ndamukong Suh, the Pats know stopping, or at least slowing Donald, is the top priority.

For AD, who hasn’t recorded a sack in the postseason, the opportunity to make a splash on the NFL’s biggest stage is an opportunity to be taken advantage of. Taking down a player like Tommy Terrific when the lights are the brightest is what the top defensive player in the league will be expected to do. While that may be the expectation, Donald knows that the Super Bowl is played over four quarters, and that patience is key:

"“We’ll get to him eventually. Just can’t get frustrated and keep doing our job. We’ve got a great secondary, and they’re going to do their job and lock people down. They’re going to give us opportunities. They’re going to make him hold the ball, and we’re going to have opportunities to get after him. We just got to get him down.”"

AD knows that over 60 minutes, the Rams will get their shots. Taking advantage of them as they come, will be key in winning the battle for LA.

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