'Don't Poke the Bear!' Giants' Saquon Reveals Scouting Report on 'Alien' Rams DT Aaron Donald
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has long been rated amongst the NFL's best, an honor that remains in place even in his age-32 season.
Donald, who's earned Pro Bowl nods in each of his first nine professional campaigns, has 14 tackles for loss, six sacks and 21 quarterback hits to his name with two weeks left in the regular season.
And yet - New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley is "excited" for his first matchup against the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
"Probably shouldn't say that; I don't want to ... 'poke the bear," Barkley said. "My mindset is, whoever we're going up against, that doesn't bother me, but knowing how great of a player he is.
"Arguably, probably the greatest defensive player of all-time, between him and probably (Hall of Famer) Lawrence Taylor - it's definitely going to be fun."
Nov 26, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Barkley said his excitement stems from his competitive nature, which prompts him to aspire for challenges such as the one Donald presents.
"You know he's going to give you your best and you want to try to have a performance against a guy like that," Barkley said. "So, definitely a little extra motivation, too."
In five career games against the Giants, Donald has 11 tackles and two sacks to his name, but due to Barkley's injury trouble, has never faced the former No. 2 overall pick.
Still, there's mutual respect between Donald and Barkley, and the former was quick to single out the latter when asked about what stands out from the Giants' offense.
"They have a good running back," Donald said. "Obviously, we have to find a way to slow him down, get after him."
Barkley said his path hasn't extensively crossed with Donald's, though he added the two have likely met.
In a sense, it's a similar story for Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who doesn't have to worry about game planning against Donald but still boasts tremendous respect for the seven-time All-Pro.
Martindale has formed his opinion on Donald from getting a quick look if the Rams are on before the Giants play or some other similar scenario, but his perception remains sky-high.
"He's just an alien," Martindale said. "There's no other - he's just unreal and it's down after down after down after down. He is one of the best. He'll go down as one of the best three techniques of all time."
Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka isn't as fortunate as Martindale this time around, as Kafka's been tasked with devising a strategy to limit Donald.
Perhaps the most important piece to Kafka's solution is Giants rookie center John Michael Schmitz, who has a Pro Football Focus grade of just 48.8 overall.
But Kafka knows the difficulties that come with stopping Donald persist regardless of who's at center.
"Aaron Donald is a Hall of Fame type player," Kafka said. "He's a really good, talented player. He plays in a good scheme that's well coached. It's going to be a big challenge, not for just a rookie but for everyone on the front line."
Donald and the Rams (8-7) have won five of their last six games since returning from the bye week, while the Giants (5-10) have lost back-to-back games after winning three straight.
As owners of an NFC wildcard spot, Los Angeles is in desperate need of a victory - and with Donald poised to wreak havoc inside, will have a strong shot to do so when it takes on New York at 10 a.m. PST Sunday inside MetLife Stadium.
"We just have to play, fly around, try to find a way to win," Donald said.
