Aaron Donald: I was letting plays slip out of my hands, so I’ve been working on my grip

[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]

Aaron Donald: I was letting plays slip out of my hands, so I’ve been working on my grip
Posted by Myles Simmons on September 17, 2021, 12:51 PM EDT

Chicago Bears v Los Angeles Rams
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Early in the fourth quarter of the Rams season-opening victory over the Bears, something peculiar happened.

Aaron Donald had a clear opportunity to sack quarterback Andy Dalton. But when Donald got to the quarterback, he spun Dalton around before the QB made it out of his grasp. The whole thing probably worked out worse for Dalton, who was then sacked by linebacker Justin Hollins for 15-yard loss.



And Donald — the reigning defensive player of the year — got his later in the fourth quarter, taking down Dalton for a 9-yard loss and turnover on downs.

But after he missed that one sack, Donald is changing things up a bit to come after Carson Wentz this week.

“I don’t know what was going on that day,” Donald said Thursday, via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. “I was just letting plays slip out of my hand. I was like, ‘What is going on?’

“So I’ve been working on my grip all week, making sure everything will be good. I changed my gloves so, you know, they’re not getting away no more.”

Donald has 86.5 sacks in his seven-plus seasons, though none of them have come against the Colts. Sunday’s game will be his first game against Indianapolis, as he didn’t play in the last matchup between the two teams in 2017.