Tough Weigh: Sean McVay Sees Donald-Like Pass-Rushing Skills in…
In March, the Los Angeles Rams lost all-time great pass-rusher Aaron Donald to retirement. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer left an unfillable hole on the Rams’ defensive line, but Los Angeles used its first two 2024 NFL Draft picks to try anyway. The Rams selected EDGE Jared Verse at No. 19 overall and defensive tackle Braden Fiske at No. 39 overall — both from Florida State.
On Wednesday, November 6, Good Morning Football‘s Mike Garafolo asked Rams head coach Sean McVay about Fiske’s “ability to replace Aaron Donald” and whether McVay sees any similarities.
“The first thing is he is refreshingly himself,” McVay said. “He’s a tough, relentless competitor. He loves the game. He does have a similar way of where he just stares a hole through you at team meetings like what Aaron would do. He had an unbelievable game. I thought he impacted the game from the first quarter to the fourth. He was awesome. Had two sacks. He could have had a few more. Our D-line coach, Giff Smith, said he’s like Santa Claus; he was just passing out half a sack to other guys because he would basically get it started and then free it up.”
McVay continued, “He’s only gonna continue to get better. These guys love football. They love competing. They’re mentally and physically tough. I’ve been really pleased with what Braden’s done. He’s an old-school kind of toughness, which is exactly what we love, and those kind of guys last.”
Fiske collected two sacks in the 4-4 Rams 26-20 overtime win in Seattle last Sunday, November 3. Verse posted one sack. Fiske has 3.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble, while Verse has 3.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and one forced fumble through eight games.
Rams rookie safety Kamren Kinchens also notably contributed a 103-yard pick-six against the Seahawks.
While the Rams’ three-game winning stream is largely attributed to the offense rediscovering its explosive rhythm after wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returned from injury in Week 8, the front office’s ability to quickly rebuild the defense cannot be overlooked.
The Rams will next host the 2-6 Miami Dolphins on Monday, November 11.
