LA Rams: Aaron Donald ‘excited’ about Matthew Stafford

When it comes to the LA Rams, All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald‘s opinion carries the weight of investment advisor E.F. Hutton. When Aaron Donald speaks, people listen.  So it makes sense to get any and all comments made by the great defensive lineman and listen to what he sees so far from the progress of the team at training camp so far. After all, Donald sees two to four blockers opposing him per play, so it makes sense that he would have a unique perspective about his team.

The press conference has a lot of discussion about what Aaron Donald sees from the new quarterback, what are his views about his teammates, and an overall assessment of the team’s progress.

The first question posed compared 2020 when the defense came out early and seemed to dominate the offense, whereas in 2021 the competition seems to be much more evenly matched.  Donald confirmed that is how it’s been happening so far:

Donald (at the 0:18 mark): “Yeah, for sure. We’re making our plays, they’re making their plays, but that’s what it’s about. That’s what you wanna see, it’s competition. You know, they get us, they get us a little amped up, and we gotta get them back. So, going back and forth, pushing the other, getting the other better, that’s what this is about.”

So the offense has a lot more ‘fight” in them this year. Is that because the Rams defense is less of what it is, or has the offense truly made significant leaps and bounds forward?  The follow-up question about Matthew Stafford, and what Aaron Donald has seen from him so far seems to settle the debate in my mind.

Los Angeles Rams

Donald (at the 0:36 mark): “He’s (Matthew Stafford is) playing lights out. I’m excited that he’s on our side, helping us to win. Just watching him and the way he works, the balls he’s been throwing, getting them to the wide receivers? You know, I ain’t never seen nothing like it. So to be able to see it first hand is just pretty cool.”

Donald goes on to explain how, practicing at training camp with the guy, gives him the opportunity to see how well prepared Stafford is, how much of a leader on the offense he becomes. He talked about how the guy pinpoints the passes so well that they lay right into the hands of the receiver. He mentions how Stafford continues to direct receivers during plays, and yes, he even mentions those no-look lyin’ eyes pass plays that everyone is buzzing about.

Aaron Donald is a great football player. Nobody questions his production, his play. Sometimes you need to rely on the word of a great player to recognize another great player. Donald has been truly impressed with the new quarterback, Matthew Stafford. And folks, Donald is no pushover when it comes to the play of quarterbacks.

So what is the verdict? Has the quality of the offense risen substantially? Has the quality of the defense fallen substantially? Or have the two sides met somewhere in the middle?  I will let you decide on your own. But if you come to any conclusion other than the offense has gotten that much better, you have to tell Aaron Donald, okay?