GREEN BAY — Higher protected than sorry, Elgton Jenkins figured.
Not that you simply’re actually ever protected if you’re on the sector with Aaron Donald, top-of-the-line defensive tackles to ever play the sport — and, given his mood, one of many extra harmful adversaries an offensive lineman can come throughout.
Jenkins can attest to that, having gotten right into a scuffle with Donald final time the Inexperienced Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams met.
Nonetheless, although Jenkins and his fellow Packers linemen entered the week realizing Donald won’t play due to an ankle injury, all of them prepped as if he would.
And when the information got here Saturday that Donald gained’t play Monday evening at Lambeau Area — marking the third straight sport he’ll miss due to the injury he suffered Nov 27 at Kansas Metropolis — Jenkins wasn’t precisely complaining.
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“You’d moderately be ready than not be ready. For positive,” Jenkins mentioned after follow and after the Rams dominated Donald out on their injury report. “You’ve actually acquired to observe movie on him after which return and watch movie on all people else. I actually watched each sport on him, then went again and watched everybody else.”
The 31-year-old Donald is a three-time NFL defensive participant of the yr, an eight-time Professional Bowl choice and seven-time first-team All-Professional. In 11 video games this season, he has 5 sacks, 49 tackles and 10 tackles for loss.
However with the 4-9 Rams barely mathematically alive for the playoffs, it appeared unlikely all week lengthy that Donald would play. That didn’t cease Packers head coach Matt LaFleur from spending movie, assembly and follow time on Donald.
“Perhaps he does (play), perhaps he doesn’t. However we’d be fools to not put together for a man like that,” LaFleur had mentioned earlier within the week. “He’s a man that completely, 100% impacts the sport.”
Donald can be the type of measuring-stick participant that linemen need to face, each due to their aggressive natures and to see how they stack up towards one of many all-time greats.
Which led to just a little — very, little or no — disappointment within the Packers’ locker room Saturday when Donald was dominated out.
“Everytime you’re going to go and play a sport towards one of many sport’s greatest, I believe all people at all times actually appears to be like ahead to that,” proper guard Jon Runyan mentioned.
“I do know I used to be actually enthusiastic about taking part in him final yr. I actually respect him. He’s an exceptional participant. I can’t say I’m going to overlook him when he’s not on the market. It’s simply a kind of issues. I hope he will get higher and wholesome.”
Heart Josh Myers missed final yr’s 36-28 win over the Rams due to an injury, so a part of him was additionally trying ahead to dealing with Donald. However Myers can be a pragmatist and is aware of {that a} Rams unit that’s tied for sixteenth in scoring protection (22.8 factors per sport) and ranks thirteenth in whole protection (330.5 yards per sport) however fifth in run protection (101.9 yards per sport) is worse off with out its largest star.
“It’s a bizarre factor. You do need to see their greatest,” Myers mentioned. “For me, I’ve by no means performed towards him. It might clearly be actually cool to play towards a participant of his caliber. … Nevertheless it positively does give us a greater shot of successful this sport, little question.”
The defending Tremendous Bowl champions will even be with out quarterback Matthew Stafford (bruised spinal cord) and Tremendous Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp (excessive ankle sprain), each of whom are on injured reserve. The Rams dominated 5 different gamers out Saturday along with Donald.
“You see the place you’re at if you play guys like that,” Jenkins mentioned. “He’s labeled because the No. 1 defensive deal with within the league so if you play him, you respect that since you see the place you’re at as an offensive lineman. He’s a very good participant. Their loss, I suppose.”
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