“Well, we got to stop the run first, I feel like they’ve been running the ball great,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “Getting a lot of opportunities to get the pass going with Brady, so we stop the run, get after the quarterback — I know he gets the ball out quick — but I trust our secondary, our guys on the back end to do their job and lock things down.”
The Rams have turned things around in the postseason after letting up 122.3 yards rushing per game in 2018, giving up just 50 yards on the ground against the Cowboys and 48 to the Saints.
But Donald’s recipe to generate his own opportunities for a Super Bowl sack or two, three, or more, relies on the never-short-on-swag defensive back duo of cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, along with their cast of playmakers who are beginning to shake their who was that? status, like safety John Johnson, safety Lamarcus Joyner, and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. Brady’s top targets remain White, tight end Rob Gronkowski, and wide receiver Julian Edelman — and members of the L.A. secondary are well aware of the challenge the cast of veterans present.
“Definitely a tough cover — best tight end in the game,” Talib said about Gronkowski, who remains a staple of Brady’s offense, despite a career-low three touchdowns in 2018.
Talib and Johnson each listed Gronk’s size and physicality as what makes him effective — but Johnson said he’s up for the challenge in his second year.
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