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The Cincinnati Bengals are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1988 season but if they want a chance at winning their first-ever championship, they’re going to have to control Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s impact on the game.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle told Fox News Digital that in his experience playing against the Rams this past season, the Bengals' best chance of winning will be limiting Donald’s ability to make plays.
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"The number one thing is their pass rush. They’re very good. You can’t really say anything about it. Aaron Donald is one of one. He’s one of the best football players to play the game," Kittle said. "He just makes everyone's lives around him easier because you have to double team him and you’re going to get one-on-one’s on the edges with (Leonard) Floyd and Von Miller."
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) and defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day (69) celebrate following a play against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field. (USA TODAY Sports)
He continued: "Really the biggest thing is don’t let Aaron Donald change the game. If you can keep him as quiet as possible, which is very difficult, it's your best chance at winning. Make everyone else beat you but don't let – because he can change the game on every single play and it's pretty impressive. There's not a lot of guys that can do it like that.
The Niners faced the Rams three times this season – beating them 31-10 in Week 9 and again in overtime right before the playoffs but couldn’t keep it going in the NFC Championship Game.
"It's kind just up to the Cincinnati O-line and their game plan to see if they can get the ball out quick which I think (Joe) Burrow is going to do a fantastic job. He’s a great quarterback. He’s going to get the ball out but you can’t give up nine sacks… If you do that it’s not going to be a good game."
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) scrambles in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs on Jan 30, 2022 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
But Kittle said Sunday’s game isn’t going to be a walk in the park for the Rams.
"This is a team that puts up points. This is a team that is very confident. People were telling them that they weren’t anything the entire season, that they’re not gonna go anywhere … and here they are in the Super Bowl while 30 other teams are sitting at home. They're a really good football team.
"If you let Aaron Donald in the backfield three times and he has two forced fumbles, yeah, it could be ugly really quick."
Greener Grasses
George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after making a first down during the game against the Houston Texans at Levi's Stadium on January 2, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Texans 23-7. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
In the offseason, Kittle will be focused on his training, but he’s also partnered up with Pennington, a leading grass seed manufacturer, to petition for grass fields across the NFL’s 30 stadiums.
"We’re trying to get as many fans as we can or players, coaches – anybody really – to sign this petition that’s going to get grass fields in all of the NFL stadiums because at the end of the day all that we want is players on the football field playing at a high level, making awesome spectacular plays," he told Fox News. "That’s what we all want to see and guys that are playing on grass consistently, whether it's their practice fields or game fields and all the surfaces are the same, we have a better likelihood of achieving that goal.
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Kittle likened it to other sports like the NBA and NHL where players are practicing and playing on the same surface throughout the season.
"There are all these variables that are adding to this likelihood of injury. We play a violent sport where guys get injured all the time, why not set a standard of what the fields are supposed to be so that guys are playing on the same thing week in and week out."