In a game where every play counts, the Pats’ strategy to neutralize the Rams’ powerhouse, Aaron Donald, in the Super Bowl was a masterclass in tactical planning. Speaking on a recent episode of Games With Names, Tom Brady’s former teammate, Julian Edelman, shed light on how they accomplished this seemingly opposite task.

Mission: Stop Aaron Donald

Matthew Slater who was also on the podcast called it “favorite win of my career, perfect score”. How did they manage to do it? “Stop Aaron Donald. Get a body on 99,” was what the offense was ordered to do. Belichick had anticipated Rams DC Wade Phillips’ man-coverage tendencies. And the Patriots planned to exploit this with longer pass plays.

Despite the successful containment of Donald, the Patriots faced their own set of challenges, particularly in the red zone. “We just couldn’t finish. We’re moving the ball up and down the field, just every time we got in the red area, you know, something went wrong. We couldn’t finish play, we couldn’t finish drives, but we were moving the ball,” Slater said.

Even though it was a low-scoring game, the Pats won 13-3. But a post-game interaction with Brady washed away the pain of defeat.

Donald’s hatred for Tom Brady

In a recent podcast on his own channel, Aaron Donald shared an unexpected exchange of admiration with Tom Brady. He’s the very QB he had harbored “hatred for”. Despite the sting of defeat, Donald revealed a moment of profound respect that transcended their on-field rivalry. Post-Super Bowl, Donald recounted a poignant interaction with Brady. “He catches me postgame and shares, ‘You’re one heck of a player, just a true warrior on the field. Keep pushing, and your time will come, no doubt.'”

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As Donald steps away from the NFL, closing a chapter filled with unparalleled achievements, including three Defensive Player of the Year awards and eight first-team All-Pro nods, this story serves as a reminder of his indomitable presence on the gridiron. His retirement brings to a close a near-decade of dominance with the Rams. It was a journey marked by moments of brilliance and the haunting memory of a Super Bowl defeat that, despite its bitterness, fostered unexpected moments of respect and admiration between “warriors of the game”. Considering they won the game, what do you think about the Patriots’ strategy?

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