Aaron Donald's Rams debut reminded everyone that his impact transcends the box score

The Los Angeles Rams invested heavily in the defense this season. General manager Les Snead, after years of focusing on offense, decided the time had come to add accomplished veterans to Chris Shula's defense. He added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson while prying edge rusher Myles Garrett away from the Cleveland Browns.

But the pièce de résistance in the eyes of fans is the unretirement of defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

How did he do in his first game back? Donald's full arsenal of pass-rush moves and defensive prowess remains intact. Just check out the tape:

Donald was never going to meet the expectations of all fans. Many expressed disappointment at his lack of box-score production. But he made his presence felt throughout the game by routinely fighting through double teams, leaving teammates like nose tackle Poona Ford free to cause havoc at the line of scrimmage.

Aaron Donald is back, baby, and his value goes beyond the basics

While some fans may remain skeptical, Donald's pedestrian stat line was not a true picture. Pro Football Focus graded Donald as the NFL's most effective pass rusher in Week 2.

Because, hey, football is a team sport. And Donald made life a whole lot easier for his teammates.

The Giants offense was already outgunned after losing starting quarterback Jaxson Dart on its first series. That said, Rams fans can cite plenty of past examples when the defense let up and the opponent shocked them after an injury. Fortunately, that letdown never happened in Week 2.

Cornerback Trent McDuffie is proving to be a huge weapon in the secondary. He smothered receivers with sticky coverage. And that allowed the pass rush to get its bearings and make life a living hell for Famous Jameis Winston.

The group was energetic, disciplined, and ruthlessly ready. Donald's presence likely had something to do with that. Come on. No one wanted to let him down in his post-retirement debut.

Don't rely on stats and box scores. Rewatch Week 2 and focus on Donald's dominating play. He didn't make every tackle, but he was responsible for many of them. And that's a great step in the right direction as the Rams continue what might the toughest part of their schedule.

As always, thanks for reading.

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