Getty Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald couldn’t be corraled in Week 1. The gate was off the barn against those professional wranglers from Dallas.
Donald, the Rams’ feared defensive tackle, threw arguably the best offensive line in football around like rag dolls. The “human cheat code” finished with seven quarterback hurries, two quarterback hits, one sack — and a hilarious archive of viral memes displaying his greatness.
After the Eagles’ porous offensive line gave up eight sacks to Washington, they should be afraid. Very afraid. Not on Carson Wentz’s watch.
“We got to execute and not play afraid or play timid,” Wentz told reporters on Wednesday. “But he is a guy we definitely take accountability for, where he’s at all times. He’s a game wrecker if you let it happen. We just got to be smart with how we handle that.”
The Eagles quarterback wasn’t downplaying Donald’s ability to wreak havoc, but Wentz was sending a direct message to his teammates. The offensive line is going to have to come prepared for a prison fight, with guys staying on their assignments and blocks for all 60 minutes. Bring a shank, if you have one. Donald has no empathy.
“Aaron Donald is a monster, everyone knows it,” Wentz said. “Everyone around the league knows the type of player he is and how he can really disrupt an offensive gameplan and so for us, we’re aware of that. We have to always know where he is, but at the same time, we got to come out and execute.”
There is some good news about the matchup: Donald has zero sacks in three career meetings against Philadelphia. Baby steps.
Eagles fans could have nightmares all week of Aaron Donald and the Rams coming to the Linc Sunday
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Wentz Enjoying Friendship with Jared Goff
Wentz and Rams quarterback Jared Goff went back-to-back as the first two picks of the 2016 draft. They were literally on a collision course in 2017 when the Eagles quarterback tore his ACL and saw his season end in Los Angeles.
Rams QB Jared Goff on Carson Wentz’s Knee Injury:
“It’s terrible. I shot him a quick text, hoping for the best for him. It’s tough, especially a guy I’m close with, young guy.
Praying for the best, but if there’s anyone that’ll bounce back it’ll be him. I think he can handle it”
The Eagles gutted that game out on the back of Nick Foles. And Foles beat the Rams again in 2018 with Wentz injured. Still, Goff and Wentz are forever linked in history as two of the highest-paid franchise quarterbacks in the NFL.
Goff lost in his only Super Bowl appearance in 2018 while Wentz took home the Lombardi in his lone championship, although he was reduced to a cheerleader in that one. The two just can’t escape each other, and Wentz admitted that they have developed a budding friendship over the years.
“I mean, the relationship has been good, obviously we’ve seen them a handful of times over the years, playing against them, so I get to holler at him here and there,” Wentz said. “But he’s out on the West Coast and I’m out on the East Coast but we exchange texts now and then but it kind of is what it is.”
Carson Wentz downplays any 2016 draft rivalry with Jared Goff. They’re friends. They text. Not more much to it than that.
When a reporter asked if the rivalry was in the same vein as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, Wentz shrugged it off. Not even close.
“Lot of respect for him as a player and as a guy, I consider him a friend but the rest of that,” Wentz said. “For the rivalry and all that stuff, that’s neither here nor there for both of us. I just enjoy playing against him, competing against him and it should be another fun one.”
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Eagles’ Carson Wentz Doesn’t Hold Back on Describing Rams All-Pro