THOUSAND OAKS — The last time Aaron Donald saw Lambeau Field, it was through tears.
Donald’s eyes glistened and he was consoled by teammates as he stood on the sideline and watched the Rams’ season tick away in the Green Bay Packers’ 32-18 victory in the second round of the NFC playoffs last January.
Playing barely half of the Rams’ defensive snaps and making only one tackle because of a rib injury suffered a week earlier was only one factor in Donald’s frustration. Losing another shot at the Super Bowl was upsetting enough.
“I just care,” Donald said this week of what those tears meant. “That is what it comes down to, just caring.”
Aaron Donald is emotional on the sidelines. pic.twitter.com/lgrMRLtQZ9
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 17, 2021
The defensive tackle wanted to talk about this Sunday’s return to Lambeau Field when the Rams (7-3) face the Packers (8-3). The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year didn’t want to wallow in last year.
But Donald said he is extra motivated for this game because of what happened in that game.
“A lot of things motivate me, but you could say that, yes,” he said.
Hearing that Donald might have a new level of motivation, Packers coach Matt LaFleur could only respond with a joke.
“I want to cry,” LaFleur said in a Zoom session with Green Bay and L.A. reporters Thursday.
Donald and the Rams have a good shot at revenge.
Despite losses to the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers before last week’s bye, the Rams are a better team than the one that lost to the Packers as a seven-point underdog in the divisional round, with Matthew Stafford at quarterback instead of a sore-thumbed Jared Goff and league-leading wide receiver Cooper Kupp healthy after missing that game with a knee injury.
With Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers dealing with a broken left pinky toe, offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) not expected to play and guard Elgton Jenkins (knee) on injured reserve, bettors have moved the Rams from one-point underdogs on Tuesday to one-point favorites on Thursday.
If edge rusher Leonard Floyd plays after coming out of the 49ers game with a concussion, and linebacker Von Miller drawing more attention from blockers in his second Rams game, Donald can expect chances to pressure Rodgers.
The NFL says this will be the first game since 2011 to feature a reigning Most Valuable Player quarterback and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
“I’m always eager to get after any quarterback,” said Donald, who has six sacks this season. “But watching him on film, he doesn’t look like he has a toe injury. So, I don’t really believe it. He (is) playing good football.”
The question might be if you can avenge a playoff loss with a regular-season victory. Donald put that to rest by talking about how important this game is for the Rams, who seek their first win against an over-.500 since they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September.
“I feel like you got to go into this game thinking like this is a playoff game,” said Donald, who declared himself “100% healthy.” “So I would think this is an important week for us. We are playing for something. So, we got out there and make it happen.”
Donald remembers his inability to contribute in that playoff game last Jan. 16 as a failure. But coaches see his attempt to play at all as a measure of his greatness.
“If Aaron Donald didn’t play another snap right now, he’s a Hall of Fame player,” Rams coach Sean McVay said this week. “He is all about the right stuff. He wants to win. He wants to do everything for this team to try to help his teammates, to be able to achieve success collectively.
“And I think there was a lot of emotions because (that loss) represents the finality of the chase to try to go be a world champion.”
LaFleur saw the same when he watched Donald up close during the 2017 season as McVay’s offensive coordinator with the Rams.
“I’ve got so much respect for him, just how he approaches the game, his work ethic, what kind of teammate he is,” LaFleur said. “Every play, his motor is non-stop. And then you look at his play time, and he’s playing almost the entire game every week.
“I certainly don’t want him to be any extra-motivated.”
NOTES
The Rams put defensive tackle Marquise Copeland on the active roster and filled his spot on the practice squad by signing undrafted Texas A&M linebacker Anthony Hines III. Copeland was called up to the 53-man roster the past two games and made seven tackles against the 49ers. … Heavy wind, even by Thousand Oaks standards, prompted the Rams to turn practice into a short walk-through on Thanksgiving morning. … Packers coach Matt LaFleur said the game status of running back Aaron Jones (knee) probably won’t be decided before Sunday.
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