Despite the Los Angeles Rams dropping their 2022 season opener to the Buffalo Bills, there still some positive takeaways from the game.
The defense stood out as the unit that was able to keep the Rams in the game as they were able to force several turnovers. While Los Angeles was unable to capitalize on all of those, it’s an encouraging sign that the defense can create extra opportunities when called upon.
Another good sign was Aaron Donald, who remained a force up front despite his lackluster box score. Donald recorded just two tackles, one sack and one quarterback hit but dominated his matchup against the Bills’ offensive linemen, via Seth Walder of ESPN:
Top 10 pass rush win rate performance at defensive tackle in Week 1 thus far.
Aaron Donald has never finished anywhere but first in this category (since 2017) and begins a new year at No. 1. pic.twitter.com/YjFUy2p9GK
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) September 12, 2022
It should come as no surprise that Donald topped the charts for pass rush win rate for defensive tackles as he has unquestionably been the best player at his position for years now. While the counting stats might not back it up, Donald did have an effect on the Bills offense, though Josh Allen was smart about getting rid of the football quickly.
While Donald paced all defensive tackles in Week 1, no other Rams made the list at the edge position. Former Rams Von Miller and Ogbo Okoronkwo made appearances at Nos. 3 and 7, respectively, a sign that that area is a work in progress for Los Angeles.
Donald’s going to be effective week in and week out, but if the Rams really want to compete with the best teams, he’s going to need more help putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
