The Rams took the field for Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Commanders with two Defensive Players of the Year, an MVP quarterback, a Super Bowl-winning coach and one of the best young wide receivers in the league.
The Commanders took the field with Jayden Daniels and his guys. But Daniels couldn’t will Washington to victory against an elite collection of NFL talent.
A healthy Myles Garrett — one of Los Angeles’ two star pass rushers alongside Aaron Donald — tallied three sacks in his first game since Week 1. Receiver Puka Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. With outbursts like that, the Rams didn’t need career-defining days from quarterback Matthew Stafford or coach Sean McVay.
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And spectators didn’t need a postgraduate degree in offensive schemes to see what the Rams were doing. They threw to Nacua early and often. In the run game, they executed “duo” to perfection. It’s a relatively simple call that focuses on emphasizing double teams on runs up the middle of the line.
The Commanders failed to stop the attack.
“Today was a gut check to us,” Washington edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson said after the game. “They were running the same play all day. Feeding the same person the same ball all day. As a defense, you’ve just got to … figure out how you’re going to stop that.”
Washington’s offense wasn’t much better. After scoring 10 points in their first two possessions, Daniels and the offense managed just three points on their final nine drives. The Commanders recorded five punts, two lost fumbles, a turnover on downs and one field goal as an early 10-3 lead slipped away.
“The thing we did in the first half was: get the first down on the first roll. Get that initial first down and start rolling,” right guard Sam Cosmi said. “Then we had a couple of three-and-outs, which hurt us. That was messing with the momentum, for sure.”
The offensive line’s job grew harder as the game wore on. Garrett got more comfortable, aligning across the defensive front and harrying Daniels. In the second quarter, he killed a Commanders drive with a strip sack that led to points for the Rams.
Daniels provided a succinct assessment of the turnover after the game.
“Myles Garrett happened,” he said.
Center Lucas Patrick then left the game with a concussion. Sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin stepped up to replace him. He was tasked with blocking Donald and Garrett, who have a combined five Defensive Player of the Year awards.
“It’s a hard ask to go out and there and go one-on-one with Myles Garrett,” said Cosmi. Garrett recorded one of his sacks after aligning on the interior and skirting past Gulbin. “We tried to help him as much as we could out there, but for the most part, he was thrown in the fire and he fought.”
Facing Donald and Garrett appeared to rattle an already inconsistent Commanders line. Left tackle Brandon Coleman committed a pair of false starts. Cosmi committed a hold. A fourth-down attempt — with Washington trailing 13-20 halfway through the fourth quarter — ended in a delay of game.
“Cover zero; they’re about to bring pressure. I’m trying to communicate, get the ball out of my hands,” Daniels said of the penalty. “We just didn’t — I clapped for the ball — we just didn’t snap it. We didn’t get the ball off. It’s on us as players.
Washington’s signal-caller played another clean, if unspectacular, game. Daniels completed 24 of his 35 passes for 274 yards, with a second-quarter touchdown to receiver Van Jefferson. But the offense sputtered around him.
The wide receiver room was missing four of its top six targets — Terry McLaurin and Jaylin Lane are out for the season with injuries. Dyami Brown joined them on injured reserve after suffering a calf injury during Friday’s practice. Treylon Burks, the Commanders’ most consistent deep threat this season, was sidelined with a foot injury.
The running game offered little help. Starting halfback Rachaad White rushed for a team-high 28 yards on seven carries. Fellow tailback Austin Ekeler toted the ball eight times for just 16 yards.
With the offense struggling, Commanders coach Dan Quinn needed his defense to shine. They fell short in a largely promising effort. They intercepted Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford once as he finished 26-of-43 with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Nacua.
The All-Pro receiver was an easy button for McVay and Stafford. When in doubt, they fed him the ball on screens and handoffs to force the Commanders to tackle him in the open field. They struggled, despite focusing on “premium awareness” in an attempt to stifle the 25-year-old superstar.
“They came out and they did what they did, too. It wasn’t like, anything special. Duo, getting the ball to Puka,” Commanders rookie linebacker Sonny Styles said. “It’s super frustrating. Especially when you know that going into the game. As a defense as a whole, you try to be better.”
Los Angeles opened the second half with an eight-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Blake Corum to take a 13-10 lead. Nacua’s fourth-quarter touchdown iced the game, as Washington failed to find the end zone in the second half.
The Rams stopped the Commanders at the 11-yard line on a potential game-tying drive as time expired in the game.
The seven-point loss is the Commanders’ third one-possession loss of the season. The latest almost-but-not-quite performance has their playoff odds dwindling.
Washington, now 2-5-1, has little time to dwell on Sunday’s disappointment. They face the division-leading New York Giants (5-2-1) in New Jersey on Thursday night.
“Next week is must-win,” Daniels said.
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