Puka Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards and the go-ahead touchdown, Myles Garrett had three sacks in his return from a knee injury, and the Los Angeles Rams beat the Washington Commanders 20-13 on Sunday, November 8, at Northwest Stadium.
Los Angeles improves to 5-4 with its third straight win and is over .500 for the first time this season. Washington falls to 2-6-1. The afternoon ended with a worry for the Rams: Nacua hurt his knee on the team’s final offensive snap and was scheduled for an MRI on Monday; see our Week 9 injury roundup for updates.
Washington leads at the half
Drew Stevens and Brandon McManus traded first-quarter field goals, and Jayden Daniels threw a 7-yard touchdown to Van Jefferson early in the second quarter for a 10-3 Commanders lead, the only touchdown of the first half. Late in the half, Nacua fumbled to give Washington the ball, but Garrett answered on the next series with a strip-sack of Daniels, his first sack as a Ram after arriving from Cleveland in the offseason. McManus kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired after a Washington goal-line stand, leaving it 10-6 at the break.
Rams take over
Blake Corum ran in from 1 yard out midway through the third quarter for a 13-10 lead. Nick Cross intercepted Matthew Stafford to end a long scoreless stretch for Washington, but the Commanders gained only 9 yards on the ensuing drive and settled for Stevens’ 41-yard field goal to tie it 13-13. Stafford responded by leading the Rams down the field with a string of conversions, and Nacua made a leaping, contested grab in the corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown with 12:51 left.
Despite missing two cornerbacks, the Rams forced a punt or turnover on five straight Washington possessions in the middle of the game and allowed only that one field goal over the final 44 minutes. Two late Commanders drives came up empty, the last ending on a desperation lateral play as time expired. Los Angeles converted all three of its fourth-down attempts.
The numbers
- Puka Nacua: 14 catches on 19 targets for 150 yards and a touchdown, plus two carries for 20 yards.
- Matthew Stafford: 26 of 43 for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
- Myles Garrett: three sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble in his first game since the season opener, after missing seven games with a knee injury.
- Blake Corum: 11 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown; Kyren Williams had 45 yards on 15 carries.
- Jayden Daniels: 24 of 35 for 274 yards and a touchdown, sacked four times. Chig Okonkwo had six catches for 57 yards and Jefferson five for 58.
- Frankie Luvu: 15 tackles and a sack for Washington; rookie Sonny Styles added 13 tackles.
- Team totals: Rams 343 yards to 313; Washington ran for just 60 yards on 19 carries and lost two fumbles.
What it means
“There was a lot of opportunities that we missed offensively,” Rams coach Sean McVay said, “but they did enough.” On Nacua, he added: “We needed all 14 of those catches.” Commanders coach Dan Quinn called it a “frustrating game,” saying his team still has not “nailed our complementary football.” Washington played without receiver Treylon Burks and with Terry McLaurin out for the season.
Rams guard Steve Avila left with a hamstring injury. Commanders guard Lucas Patrick was ruled out with a concussion and cornerback Amik Robertson was hurt midway through the fourth quarter.
What comes next
Washington visits the New York Giants on Thursday night, November 12. The Rams play at the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, November 15.
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