Aaron Donald playing first NFL game in Pittsburgh could work to Rams advantage

Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10 on Sunday.

As much as Aaron Donald enjoys playing for the Los Angeles Rams, the defensive star will always have a special place in his heart for the city of Pittsburgh since this is where he not only spent his college days, but also was born.

Rightfully so, Pittsburgh feels the same way about the two-time Defensive Player of the Year when seeing what Donald has done for the city over the years.

And with Donald heading back to the city to play at Heinz Field for the first time in his NFL career, one can only imagine the kind of motivation he’s going to be feeling to help the Rams take down the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite Los Angeles previously entering their bye week on a high note with two wins in a row, the victories happened to come against two teams with a combined one win in the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals.

In other words, Sunday will mark the first true test for the Rams in about a month to prove they do in fact have what it takes to be in the playoff conversation.

Los Angeles may appear to be in solid shape at the moment with a 5-3 record, but their previous three-game losing streak towards the end of September along with part of October shows this team is far from the same level as the last two years.

Between some of the adjustments on the offensive line along with injuries to certain key players, there are plenty of reasons behind the Rams taking somewhat of a step back in 2019.

But also, as long as Donald is healthy enough to lead the way on the defensive side of the football, Los Angeles is always going to be considered a tough team to beat.

The Steelers may not be a rivalry to the Rams, but the hometown factor alone is enough reason to believe that Donald could be in for a monster game in Week 10.

Football fans can say whatever they want about Donald only having five sacks to his name after setting a career high of 20.5 sacks in 2018, but also keep in mind all of the extra attention he’s received from opponents this year to benefit some of his teammates.

No one needs to explain just how dangerous of a defender Donald can be when on top of his game, and with an opportunity to show off in Pittsburgh for the first time as a NFL star, expect the Rams defensive tackle to embrace the opportunity.