Fresh off a win against the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Rams are now one of the few undefeated teams left during the early goings of the 2019 NFL season.
Los Angeles faces another tough test, however, as they pack up and head to Ohio to take on the up-and-coming Cleveland Browns this Sunday night.
The Browns boast a potent offense led by rising quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has weapons like Nick Chubb, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry at his disposal. The Rams defense will have its hands full trying to contain what looks to be a formidable Cleveland scoring attack, but should still hold their own given their talent on that end.
According to Jake Trotter of ESPN, Beckham had high praise for the Rams’ defensive leader in Aaron Donald ahead of the Week 3 matchup:
“There’s no way to even go around him. He’s probably the best player in the league. He’s been since he came out and was drafted. He’s just been that way. He is, if not the best player in the league, one of the most disruptive players I’ve ever seen. So yeah, 99 has to be accounted for. The whole game plan starts with him.”
Donald was recently voted No. 1 on the NFL’s Top-100 list and for good reason as he was by far and away the best defensive player in football last season. Despite being undersized for his position, the reigning two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has proven that he can blow up plays in an instant with his power, speed and technique.
While Donald has yet to put up a sack this season, it is clear that he is still making an impact on every snap. Opposing offenses have made it a point to block him with two, sometimes three offensive linemen, which creates opportunities for other players. The sack totals will come, but the quarterback pressures and hurries is what makes the Rams’ defense so scary to begin with.
However, it will take more than Donald in Week 3 to slow down a Browns offense that can put up points in a hurry. It will be interesting to see if the Rams can go on the road and keep their undefeated streak alive.
