Aaron Donald: 'My Mindset is There’s No Way We’re Going to Lose This Game'
Aaron Donald's career résumé features a handful of noteworthy achievements and mind-boggling statical seasons. A winner for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year three times and named an All-Pro eight times, Donald's accolades already put him in a position to be destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.
But one thing he's missing – a Super Bowl ring.
Donald and the Rams reached the Super Bowl three years ago and fell short to the New England Patriots, 13-3. Now, on the doorstep of reaching the monumental game yet again – first, the Rams need to get through the San Francisco 49ers despite riding a six-game losing streak to their in-state rival.
“This is one game away from the Super Bowl against an opponent that we’re both used to," Donald said. "We know what to expect. We just have to play four quarters. We’ve got to find a way to finish. Obviously, they’ve beat us in ways. I’m not going to sit here and talk about it, but they did. This week, my mindset is there’s no way we’re going to lose this game. We have to play for quarters. We have to find a way to finish, and I know we’re going to do that.”
As Donald eluded to, the Rams know what to expect. The battles over the years between the teams of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan have been such highly emotional meetings in which these two teams have emptied the tank on each other, there are no longer any secrets on who each team truly is.
The 49ers' identity is to lean heavily on the run to compliment quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Meanwhile, the Rams are a more pass-centric offense, while sprinkling in a running game. Both defenses have fared well, possessing a fierce pass rush that can inflict consistent pressure on opposing passers.
“This is what we've been working for," Donald said. "We’ve been trying to find a way to get to the Super Bowl and we’re one game away against a divisional opponent. They had our number the past couple of times we played them. I feel like there’s no better stage than this. This is the type of game you train for during the offseason. All that extra grind, all that extra film is to play in big games like this. I feel like there’s no better stage than what we have right now.”
The Rams will host the 49ers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl. But one aspect to take into consideration as the game unfolds is the crowd dimension. When the 49ers came to L.A. in Week 18, their fan base took over the stadium and the Rams were forced to rely on the 'silent count' in the second half.
Rams players and coaches this week have continued making sales pitches for Rams fans to come out and not sell their tickets in an attempt to regain a home-field advantage.
“I hope it’s going to be great. I hope it’s going to be a lot of Rams fans there. More Rams fans than Niners fans," Donald said. "So, we’re going to see. I know it's going to be a live environment. Hopefully, a lot of noise from our fans and we get the job done.”
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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.
