LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Donald felt better about his return to football after rewatching the Rams’ Monday night win to evaluate his performance.
If he’s right, opposing offenses might feel worse once the three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year rounds into form.
“After watching film at least six times, really breaking myself down, I was like, ‘OK, not as bad as I thought,’” Donald said. “A lot of things to clean up, but we’re on the right track.”
Donald had three tackles with one tackle for loss in the 28-6 victory over the Giants, his first NFL game since a Jan. 14, 2024, playoff defeat. With that experience under his belt, the standout defensive lineman is preparing for his first road game post-retirement against the Broncos on Sunday night, which comes with the added challenge of playing at elevation.
“I haven’t played out there since 2018, so I have go out there and see,” Donald said. “I’m feeling pretty good, confident.”
Benefitting from the extra jolt of energy created by Donald’s return after two seasons out of football, the Rams (1-1) allowed 182 yards and no touchdowns, never letting backup quarterback Jameis Winston get on track after knocking starter Jaxson Dart out on the opening series with a season-ending knee injury.
Donald played 57% of those defensive snaps, which was more than coach Sean McVay and coordinator Chris Shula indicated the 35-year-old would see. For his part, Donald thought it was the right amount to help him continue readjusting to the speed, physicality and timing of the NFL game.
“I think it’s at a great pace right now,” Donald said. “I’m able to get my feet wet, get going, get a feel for the game again. And other guys are out there working and getting work, too. Right now, everything’s been good.”
Donald was critical of his showing as a pass rusher immediately after the game, pointing to poor leverage and pad levels, but his impression changed after multiple reviews of the tape, adding an extra viewing with his older brother to his already meticulous regimen.
Shula didn’t share a count of his rewatches but still gave Donald top marks.
“He might tell you different, but I thought he looked excellent,” Shula said. “He was awesome. He put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. You see it in some of the run plays. I really thought that group as a whole played really tough. They played stout, played physical at a line of scrimmage, and Aaron was a huge part of that.”
Larrell Murchison is the only holdover on the defensive line who played with Donald for multiple seasons before he stepped away from the Rams in March 2024, and he is seeing the same tenacious work ethic on and off the field that allowed Donald to accumulate an astonishing 111 sacks in his first 10 seasons.
“Well, if you know AD, he's going to go all in on everything he do,” Murchison said. “He's going to find whatever he did (wrong) and make it 10 times better the next time, that's how he is.”
What could be scarier for the Broncos (1-1) and other upcoming foes is Donald believes he is in a better place now coming out of his ballyhooed return than he was in previous seasons while earning eight first-time All-Pro honors.
“Went back to past film, my first game back, how I looked, and I’m like, ‘... I looked better than what I did prior years,'” Donald said.
WR Puka Nacua is likely to miss his second straight game with a hip/groin injury when the Rams visit Denver, with McVay on Friday calling it “more unlikely than likely” that he'll play." Nacua is listed as doubtful for Sunday, but the team isn't considering an IR stint for the All-Pro wideout, who played in the season opener in Australia before sitting out against the Giants. If Nacua sits this week, McVay expects him to be ready to play next week at Philadelphia. ... S Kam Kinchens (hamstring) also is expected to miss his second straight game. ... TE Colby Parkinson (knee) is questionable for Sunday after “making good progress” during the week, McVay said.
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