Aaron Donald said it was good that the Rams got payback on the Patriots.
Heading into Thursday night’s game, it seemed many people forgot about the Super Bowl “revenge” factor the Los Angeles Rams had out for the New England Patriots.
Oh! We know why! It’s because this Patriots team is unrecognizable compared to the 2018 championship squad, so nobody really thought much of it. Jared Goff and Aaron Donald getting revenge on … Cam Newton? Jakobi Meyers? Damiere Byrd? Damien Harris? Adrian Phillips? Ja’Whaun Bentley? Those are all of the teams stat leaders!
We know, we could throw in Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson, Devin and Jason McCourty, David Andrews, Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason, but this Patriots team has been stripped of its identity thanks to free agency departures and player opt outs. That’s why Rams star Aaron Donald’s postgame comments about “payback” are a joke.
Aaron Donald after win over Patriots: It was good to get payback https://t.co/im51lR3wHL pic.twitter.com/61p2MgusD7
— WEEI (@WEEI) December 11, 2020
If anything, Sean McVay getting revenge on Bill Belichick is the only layer of it that makes sense. But from a roster vs. roster standpoint, it’s a whole lot of nothing. The Patriots have bee struggling all year and have been considered a fringe contender at best, while the Rams lead their division and are viewed one of the best teams in the NFL.
This Patriots team is beyond a shell of its former self. The core is gone. On a week-to-week basis, there’s no clear plan for the offense and defense. It continually feels like “whatever happens, happens” despite the fact New England was 6-6 heading into this game.
FOX does know that beating a .500 Patriots team doesn't exactly equate as "revenge" for losing a Super Bowl, right?
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) December 11, 2020
The 2018 Rams, who aren’t that much different in 2020, lost to a Patriots team that featured Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, a healthy Julian Edelman, Dont’a Hightower, a healthy Rex Burkhead, Kyle Van Noy, Trey Flowers, Danny Shelton, Patrick Chung, and others. A few of the guys from that Super Bowl-winning team are obviously still with New England, but not many are in positions to heavily influence the game.
That’s why it’s hard to believe Donald and the Rams feel any sort of fulfillment in regards to getting “payback.”
Cam Newton’s injury update can perhaps explain putrid first half vs Rams
New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has an abdominal injury and it's being reported that it's perhaps worse than we originally thought.