Pete Carroll, Seahawks Ready for Another Tough Challenge Against Rams DT Aaron Donald
Coming off a tough loss against the Bills where they allowed 16 quarterback knockdowns, 5.0 sacks, and four turnovers, the Seahawks will be looking to protect quarterback Russell Wilson more effectively. But that could prove to be difficult to accomplish against the Rams.
Over the last several seasons, Los Angeles’ defense has served as a tough test for Seattle’s offense and this upcoming Week 10 showdown probably won’t be any different, as the Seahawks will be forced to match up against All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald. To make matters worse, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner has thrived with new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and is primed to earn first-team All-Pro honors once again.
While Seattle's coaching staff is extremely familiar with the 29-year old’s talents, they’re still expecting him to be a game-changer this weekend and certainly won’t take him lightly. That being said, coach Pete Carroll admitted he’s very excited about the challenge and feels the offensive line will respond positively when they’re lined up in front of the explosive defensive tackle.
“He continues to draw all the attention and make the plays – I think 40 times he’s affected the quarterback by himself, 9.0 sacks,” Carroll discussed. “There’s a lot of times when he’s close as well. So he’s just a dominant football player, he’s as good as you can get, he’s as good at his position as anybody has ever been. It’s a real challenge to go against him and it’s good for us, we need the work, we need the challenge. It’s hugely important for us to be able to handle him and not let him be a factor, and that’s what we’re going to try to get done.”
Considering the Seahawks have struggled to slow down Donald in the past, accomplishing that feat this time around could potentially be the offensive line’s toughest assignment of the season. With guard Mike Iupati's status up in the air due to back spams, containing the former first-round pick could become even more challenging, although teammate Jordan Simmons has been very effective as his replacement.
Taking into account his stellar results since breaking into the league in 2014, the Pittsburgh standout has earned a ton of respect from the coaching staff for his impressive work ethic on and off the field. Though the six-time Pro Bowler is always difficult to prepare against, Carroll discussed exploring how other teams have enjoyed some success against him and believes this showdown will serve as a great test for his staff as well.
“I have so much respect for his play and what he does,” Carroll explained. “I like the challenge of it, I like the thought that we’re looking at him and trying to figure out who’s come up with some ways to handle him and slow him down. It’s a coach’s challenge, he’s posses as much of a threat as anybody that plays the game. He’s that good, every play he’s right there trying to get the quarterback.”
Through eight games this season, Donald has started in each of them, producing 34 quarterback pressures, 26 total tackles, 15 quarterback hits, 9.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, along with a 12.7 percent pressure rate.
Over his career against the Seahawks, the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year has created 33 quarterback pressures (most against any team), 19 tackles for loss, 12.0 sacks (most against any team), and two forced fumbles through 12 games, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Along with creating a plan of attack against Donald, the Seahawks will also need to figure out a way to succeed against the Rams’ defense as a whole, as they’ve allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game (197.1) in the league. Facing Staley for the first time, Carroll is hopeful he'll be able to figure him out very quickly but is also ready to make adjustments as the game moves along.
“They have the best player in the world right in the middle of their defense and he makes problems for everybody,” Carroll detailed. "They’re utilizing him really well, much like how he’s been utilized in the past. It’s pretty obvious how you should utilize him and coach figured that out.
"They’re new too, everybody’s trying to figure them out, find out who the new coach is and what he’s doing and how he’s doing his stuff. We’ll see as we grow from it and learn from the preparation in this game itself that we’ll know better what to expect from them.”
