AD focused on stopping run first, rushing Brees second...

Aaron Donald focused on stopping run first, rushing Drew Brees second

Cameron DaSilva

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Aaron Donald is the best interior pass rusher on the planet, setting the single-season sack record for a defensive tackle with 20.5 this year. Stopping him is a task just about every team has found nearly impossible to do, often failing to block him with just one lineman.

As dominant as he is against the pass, pressuring Drew Brees isn’t his top priority in the NFC championship game. He and his fellow Rams defenders are focused on stopping the run first and rushing Brees second.

“Anytime you play against a great quarterback like that, he’s going to do things a normal quarterback ain’t going to do. So, we know what to expect,” Donald said Thursday. “We try to do what we got to do to try our best to make him uncomfortable and get after him. But we got to stop the run first before we think about rushing the passer. They got two great backs we got to slow down and try to find ways to stop. After we do that, we’ll get after the quarterback and try and put some pressure on him.”

The Rams had a hard time pressuring Brees in their first meeting two months ago, sacking him zero times and only hitting him four times – all by Donald. Last week against the Cowboys, Dak Prescott was sacked just once, but the Rams stonewalled Ezekiel Elliott and Dallas’ running game, which proved to be a major factor.

Just as the Cowboys did in the divisional round, the Saints are expected to ride their running backs against the Rams. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram might be the best tandem in the NFL, and Donald fully expects them to see a healthy number of carries. Donald and the Rams are ready and happy to get a shot at revenge against New Orleans.

“Well, this is what you wanted. We wanted to have an opportunity to play these guys again. They got us the first time and what better stage to do it now,” he said. “Like I said, we got a great game plan. We made mistakes early when we played them and that hurt us. You know, you can’t do that when you play good teams. We know what we got to do and know what we got to expect, so on a big stage like this, so close, you got to just leave it all out there.”

When it comes to pressuring Brees, Donald says the Rams have a plan.

“We got a game plan, we’re going to stick to it and we’re going to get after him.”