Did Aaron Donald Wrap Up Defensive Player of the Year Award in Week 13?
By Chris Amberley in NFL Football
Updated: March 31, 2020 at 7:30 am EDTPublished:
- Aaron Donald is a massive favorite to win DPOY
- Donald’s Odds are now -1000 after a dominant Week 13
- Donald is making his biggest impact when games are on the line
Aaron Donald is the best player on the best team in football. If you need more proof, look no further than Week 13.
Aaron Donald was unstoppable against the Lions on Sunday, recording 2 sacks and 4 TFL.
I highlighted 7 plays, all of which either led to Lions punts or FGs a few plays later.
Film Room: https://t.co/fPdc84dNRD pic.twitter.com/eXw5tHwMjj
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 5, 2018
It comes as no surprise that after tormenting the Lions, Donald’s Defensive Player of the Year odds have been shortened yet again.
2018 Defensive Player of the Year Odds
| Player | Odds to Win DPOY |
|---|---|
| Aaron Donald | -1000 |
| Khalil Mack | +600 |
| J.J. Watt | +700 |
| Myles Garrett | +5000 |
Donald is now a massive favorite to win the award, while Khalil Mack and J.J. Watt’s odds saw little movement in the last week.
Donald Having a Season for the Ages
Through just 12 games, Donald has already accumulated more sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits than he did in 2017 when he won Defensive Player of the Year Honors.
Aaron Donald leads all players on the defensive interior in terms of his PFF grade in 2018. pic.twitter.com/4NiF6XuKW9
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 5, 2018
His 16.5 sacks are the most by a defensive tackle since 1982, and he has a chance to eclipse Michael Strahan’s overall sack record of 22.5 set in 2001.
He has six multi-sack games, no other player has more than four, and his 84 total pressures are 18 more than the next closest defender.
Donald Making a Difference When Game is on the Line
Anyone who’s ever argued there’s no such thing as a clutch gene has never watched Aaron Donald play football.
Here’s the thing about Aaron Donald/MVP: So many of his sacks/big plays/forced turnovers came when the #Rams deperately needed a play to be made.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) December 2, 2018
Of his 16.5 sacks, 10.5 have come in one-possession games.
Opponents have zero touchdowns on drives when he records a sack, and all four of his forced fumbles have led to Rams touchdowns, including his most recent one against Detroit.
Aaron Donald is going to win Defensive Player of the Year againpic.twitter.com/L7RaueJ7wx
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 2, 2018
He’s been especially dominant on third down, producing 7.5 sacks when teams are trying to extend drives.
.@AaronDonald97 just FEASTING!
A career-high 4️⃣ sacks on the day for #AD99 ? pic.twitter.com/8bazgHs6PR
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 22, 2018
Is Donald a Lock to win Defensive Player of the Year?
In short, yes.
Even if he didn’t play another snap all season, it would take an epic four game stretch by Mack or Watt to even warrant a discussion. Donald is putting up numbers we just haven’t seen before and he’s doing it in the most pivotal situations.
AARON DONALD ???pic.twitter.com/4WwCNJ9O1h
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) September 28, 2018
It’s only a matter of time until he adds another Defensive Player of the Year trophy to his case.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
