Although the Los Angeles Rams came away with the Week 1 win against the Carolina Panthers, things did not go as smooth as one might have hoped. The team narrowly won after a failed field goal attempt by Greg Zuerlein late in the fourth quarter provided an opportunity for the Panthers.
Despite one more Panthers touchdown, the Rams were able to hold on for the 30-27 victory. Quarterback Jared Goff definitely has had better games, but running backs Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown helped carry the team to victory.
On the other side of the ball, Aaron Donald also did not have one of his best games. The reigning back-to-back A.P. Defensive Player of the Year only posted one tackle and one quarterback hit.
According to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN, Donald was not happy with his personal performance despite the win:
Aaron Donald finished Sunday with 1 tackle and 1 quarterback hit. "I'm just not satisfied, I'm just not happy," he said after the game, visibly frustrated. "That's just the way I am, so I just have to keep working."
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) September 9, 2019
One silver lining is that Donald has typically had less than great season openers. Last year against the Oakland Raiders he only had one solo tackle and no other traditional counting stats.
An additional silver lining is that the Panthers specifically sought to shut down Donald. Thiry reported that ESPN advanced stats showed Donald was faced with a double team on 64% of his snaps played.
Despite the Panthers best efforts, quarterback Cam Newton was sacked three times. The focus on Donald allowed outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. to get in two sacks and Clay Matthews had one of his own in his Rams debut. The pair of linebackers also combined for five total tackles.
Although Donald and Goff both had rough starts to the 2019 NFL season, it is almost certain that they will bounce back. The Rams home opener is this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints and with a few nights sleep at home, hopefully, both stars will be ready to go.
Donald should be set for a great season seeing as this was his first offseason working out with the team in two years. Donald had been sitting out offseason workouts until he received his new contract last season. Donald signed a massive six-year, $134 million deal to stay with the Rams long-term.
