Matchup of the week: Bengals offensive line vs. Aaron Donald
The cliché week in and week out in the National Football League is that there are no “bad” players – that they’re in the league “for a reason.” This is true. But there are differences within that talent, and it seems that the interior of the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line has run across some of the more top-tier talent than most in 2015.
This week is no different with St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
The second-year player out of Pittsburgh is already an All-Pro and is one of the more complete interior defensive linemen in the league – and cut from the similar cloth as the Bengals' own Geno Atkins.
“He’s freaking good,” said Bengals guard Kevin Zeitler. “He is freaking good.”
He shook his head, searching for anything else to say.
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Donald enters the week with seven sacks and 27 tackles, putting him on pace to surpass his totals from his rookie campaign. Which is saying something, considering he turned in a Pro Bowl and Rookie of the Year campaign with nine sacks and 37 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher both like to avoid comparing players, but even Donald couldn’t help but notice the similarities between himself and Atkins.
“I’ve watched him a lot,” Donald said of Atkins. “I wouldn’t say we’re the same type of player but I guess similar body types. We try to be, as a three-tech(nique), the same position he is, just try to be disruptive, that’s what our job is.”
So, what does that mean for the Bengals offensive line on Sunday?
“He’s has an ability to win in one-on-one matchups,” Lewis said. “When you get a defensive tackle like that, just like the kid down in Tampa (Gerald McCoy), it does give the rest of your group more opportunity.”
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While having to practice against Atkins on a daily basis has helped Zeitler, fellow guard Clint Boling and center Russell Bodine prepare for Sundays, it doesn’t make the job against Donald any easier – especially because his impact, and how they handle him – creates a ripple effect out to tackles Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith.
Whitworth said the usual game plan would be to help out the tackles with an edge rusher the quality of St. Louis’ Robert Quinn, but Donald (like Atkins) won’t allow that because the double-team has to come inside.
“Aaron Donald is so good, it makes teams have to triple the inside and leave all three guys in there, and then you have a guy like Robert Quinn, who arguably, for what he does, is just as good as Aaron Donald,” Whitworth said. “So the truth is, if you look at the stats, they are the same player, so it’s just that Aaron Donald does it up the middle. It’s one of those things that those guys aren’t used to facing guys that good, so you have to help those guys out.”
Yes, the week-to-week assignments for the Bengals’ offensive line have been difficult, and are important. But considering the recent pressure from opponents and how good Donald is, Sunday could prove to be their toughest yet.
“He’s very, very strong,” Zeitler said. “He’s very quick. He’s very similar to Geno in build and what he is – he’s obviously – he’s good. He’s really good. He knows how to play the game and he wants to be great. It’s going to be one heck of a challenge, even more so than any other team this year. We knew that going into the season.”