After giving up eight sacks last week, up next for Eagles? Aaron Donald

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson got straight to the point when asked to summarize how his team’s 27-17 loss to Washington went last week.

“You didn’t miss much,” deadpanned Pederson.

Care to expand, coach?

“It was basically 30 minutes,” Pederson said. “We played great for 30 minutes and then played as about as bad as you could play for the remaining 30 minutes, It was just a tale of two halves. Three turnovers, really five, if you count the two turnovers on downs offensively.”

The Eagles led 17-7 at halftime, then imploded and allowed Washington to score 20 answered points in the second half, losing on the road.

A mish-mash Philadelphia offensive line allowed eight sacks and 15 quarterback hits on Carson Wentz. So protecting Wentz will be key for the Eagles, particularly as they face on the best pass rushers in the game in Aaron Donald.

“He is a monster,” Wentz told Philadelphia reporters. “Everyone knows it. Everyone around the league knows the type of player he is and how he can really disrupt an offensive game plan.”

Donald finished with four combined tackles, a sack and 10 quarterback hurries in last week’s win for L.A. over the Cowboys, including this play below where he treated the Dallas offensive line like bowling pins.

Aaron Donald is just unfair pic.twitter.com/ABrIzSfm3e
— PFF (@PFF) September 14, 2020

“The more you’re with them, the less you’re surprised by performances like he had in the first game, because it's just what you see all the time from him,” Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. “He's as consistent of a performer as I’ve ever been around, as I’ve ever seen. You could list any top performer in any walk of life, and I would put this guy up against him or her, because of his consistency and performance.

“There were a couple of things that I thought that he did really well in the run game. A lot of people will allude to his sack production and his rush production, but I thought in the run game, he was excellent and allowed us to stop a very prolific running game and one of the best backs in the league.”

The Eagles played without Pro Bowlers Brandon Brooks (Achilles) at right tackle and Lane Johnson (ankle) at right guard last week at Washington. However, Johnson could return to the lineup on Sunday.

Donald has some added motivation. He has not registered a sack in three games against Philadelphia, all losses for the Rams. Also, ESPN Stats & Information recently labeled him an average run defender.

Whatever five guys the Eagles have up front, expect Donald to go out and do what he normally does on game days. Donald took the high road when asked about Philadelphia’s starting front five.

“I don't think they're a bad offensive line,” Donald said. “You see the stats and if you didn’t watch the game, you will expect something. But breaking down film and watching them, they’re a solid offensive line.

“They’ve got some good pieces, starting with (Eagles C Jason) Kelce, he’s one heck of a center. I played against him multiple times, so I know what he brings. They’re a good group. They’re a young group, but I feel like overall, they play good together. We still have to go out there with the same mindset that it’s going to be a dog fight and trying to find a way to make our plays and dominate.”