Held without a tackle for two games, Aaron Donald wants his (holding) calls

Pittsburgh product not showing up on stat sheet, but still disruptive

It’s unusual to look at a stat sheet after a game and see a line of zeros following the name of Aaron Donald.

But that’s pretty much been the case for two straight games for the dynamic, defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams. 

Donald has been held without a tackle for two straight games and just two quarterback hits, as opposing offenses do their best to not let him wreck the game.

Donald said he’s never in his football career played two straight games without making a tackle.

“Not until this year,” he said. “But there’s a first for everything. At the end of the day I don’t feel like I’m playing bad football. I feel like I’m disruptive, almost making a play and the quarterback is getting rid of the ball at the last minute, or whatever the case may be.

“Guys around me are making plays, too.”

With teams paying close attention to Donald, other teammates have thrived like Michael Brockers and Leonard Floyd. And of course, both the last two games have been wins for the Rams against playoff-contending teams in the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Donald also believes he's been held on more than one occasion. But like another larger-than-life superstar that played in the L.A. market in Shaquille O’Neal, officials could likely call holding against the person trying to block Donald on every play.

“Interesting about Aaron Donald that he has not drawn a holding call in I think three or four weeks, which we're going to have to take a look at because that’s just saying that people are blocking him straight up, which we know is not the case,” Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. “So, holding calls just in general are down, but that’s something that is a concern, because it happened in the Seattle game as well. Players like that, it’s like Shaquille O'Neal back when he was playing -- I think people take for granted how good he is and we need to make sure that people are seeing the game the way they need to.”

The Pittsburgh product would just like them to call holding more often, like this play below on the Tom Brady incompletion that appeared to be a fumble on Monday Night Football.

In #LARvsTB, the ruling on the field was an incomplete pass. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady’s hand started moving forward with control of the ball, so the ruling stands. pic.twitter.com/Tx6rfupJ43

— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) November 24, 2020

Donald says he pleads his case to the officials, but with little success.

“All the damn time I talk to them,” Donald said. “I’m like, ‘You’ve got to see that holding call,’ and they say they don’t see it. The guy’s got me around my neck, pulling my shirt and I just the beat the guy with a clean rush.

“But it’s all right. Hopefully I’m going to get one sooner or later, and it’s going to help us big-time. I just got to keep playing.”

Donald is still tied for third in the NFL with nine sacks and has seven tackles for loss on the year. Staley said he’ll continue to find ways to get Donald one-on-one opportunities so he can make plays.

“It’s a statistical anomaly,” Staley said about Donald’s blank stat sheet. “He’s graded out very well for us. I mean, as well as he’s ever graded out. He just doesn’t have that normal production that he typically has. But, playing very well for us.”