Poona Ford and Aaron Donald are Rams' perfect pairing up front

There was no other way to describe it. Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Poona Ford was abysmally ineffective in Week 1. But before you start wringing your hands over the state of the run defense, rest easy. Ford and his crew rebounded so well in Week 2 that the New York Giants gained just 52 yards on 21 carries, an average of under 2.5 yards per run.

That was than a third of the Giants' Week 1 production, when they put up 165 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries against the Dallas Cowboys. With quarterback Jaxson Dart injured early against LA, they had to rely on a strong running game.

Only they couldn't.

Double-teaming Aaron Donald seemed like the right choice. Only, it wasn't. Ford made the G-Men pay by redirecting running lanes away from the center of the field, putting other defenders right in position to make plays.

Poona Ford complements Aaron Donald perfectly on Rams defensive line

With Donald back in the rotation, Ford's value to the defense has skyrocketed along with that of Kobie Turner and even Braden Fiske. While Donald commands offensive lines' attention, LA finally has defenders who can make them pay for leaving them one-on-one. Ford is among them.

Double teams smothered LA's short nose tackle was smothered in the season opener. Conversely, when Ford lined up alongside Donald in Week 2, he was the one doing the smothering. While his 5-foot-11 frame may look like a liability, it affords him tremendous power and an unnaturally strong center of gravity. That was all on display against the Giants on Monday Night Football.

Donald faced plenty of blockers in his first game back. Unlike with previous versions of the roster, however, his teammates stepped up. Ford, Fiske, and Turner were active throughout the game. Even without Myles Garrett, the defensive front is chock full of talent.

Ford and Donald play off each perfectly. No. 99 is a lightning-quick powerhouse who shows up in the backfield more often than not. Ford is the immovable object who lies in wait at the line of scrimmage. If Donald does not stuff the run, Ford remains in perfect position to make the tackle for little to no gain.

This was just their first game together. Thankfully, there will be many more where that came from.

As always, thanks for reading.

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