Monsters from the coast are coming to the District this weekend, and not just because of the arrival of a new “Godzilla” movie.
The Washington Commanders will likely host a pair of infamous pass-rushers on Sunday: former Defensive Players of the Year Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams.
“You’ve got to look out for them. Two of them,” Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels said. “Obviously, with what they’ve done in their career. Can’t treat them like nobody else but … we’ve got to be aware for them.”
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Garrett returned to practice this week for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery after Week 1. The Rams have not confirmed whether he’ll be back on the field Sunday, but his return to practice was promising for Los Angeles.
“I think just taking it a day at a time is going to be the best way that we can approach it,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Think that’s the right thing for him, and really just to see how he responds. But I think it’s a real positive that we’re starting his clock.”
Donald came out of retirement in September after two seasons away. He’s been getting better by the week.
The 35-year-old weathered a slow start that only barely resembled the work of an eight-time All-Pro. The rust didn’t last.
Per NFL Pro, Donald has recorded three pressures in each of his last three games after posting just four in his first three appearances of the season.
Donald, a 10-time Pro Bowler, exists without comparison in an NFL that has always valued 300-pounders on the interior. Standing just 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 285 pounds, the Pitt product doesn’t look like his peers.
He doesn’t play like them, either.
“It’s his hands, his quickness. It’s the way he’s able to dip underneath you,” Commanders left guard Chris Paul said. “The way’s he’s able to key into your stance and tells your leverage — where you’re about to go — and uses your momentum against you.”
“Very strong,” right guard Sam Cosmi said of Donald, whose social media workout videos remained impressive during his brief retirement. “Twitchy. He knows how to get his hands inside and control a guy’s chest. He’s everything that you expect out of a Hall of Famer.”
Garrett, when healthy, presents an equally titanic challenge for the Commanders. He set an NFL record last year with 23 sacks for the Cleveland Browns. The offseason trade that sent him to Los Angeles made the Rams immediate Super Bowl contenders.
He hasn’t made an impact yet. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year made his Rams debut in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers. He didn’t record a tackle.
Garrett was clearly hampered in the game. Los Angeles sent him to injured reserve with a knee injury just days later.
Now, his return is imminent.
“Absolutely,” Paul said when asked if Garrett’s presence changes the game plan. “We’re preparing for the game as if he would [play].”
Washington’s defenders have rotated playing the Donald role at practice. Nothing supplants the real deal, though.
“[Donald] has been a problem for the league for a very, very long time,” Cosmi said. “My job is to tame him during the game. That’s the goal for this week.”
Keeping Donald — and potentially Garrett — out of Daniels’ lap will be a key to victory for Washington on Sunday. Daniels has been an elite quarterback when kept clean this season, ranking in the top 11 in passer rating, completion percentage and air yards per attempt.
He becomes a firmly average quarterback when pressured, with his passer rating dipping from 108.8 to 70.
Despite the herculean task awaiting the offensive line, Paul and Cosmi insisted that they aren’t changing how they play. The game plan can shift, with more double-teams and chips from tight ends and running backs, but the linemen approach Sunday like any other game.
“I try not to let that be a verdict on my game — raising my game, I try to keep it at an elite standpoint. [Donald] is going to get my best. We’re going to get his best. It’s how it is,” Cosmi said. “This is what proves your name. Going up against high-caliber players.”
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