The Washington Commanders had chances early, late and in between, but the offense never did enough to keep pace in a 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Washington opened fast enough to build a 10-3 lead in the second quarter, then spent the rest of the afternoon trying to keep the Rams from taking control. It couldn’t. Los Angeles finished the game at 5-4, while the Commanders dropped to 2-5-1.
The Commanders’ best early work came on their first two possessions. They moved 11 plays for 48 yards on the opening drive before settling for a Drew Stevens field goal and a 3-0 first-quarter lead. After the Rams tied it at 3-3, Washington answered with one of its sharpest sequences of the day: an 80-yard march in six plays that ended with Jayden Daniels hitting Van Jefferson on a 7-yard touchdown pass.
That drive had a little bit of everything. Daniels connected with Antonio Williams for 18 yards, then found Rachaad White on a 45-yard screen that flipped the field and set up the score.
But the rhythm didn’t last.
Los Angeles leaned on Puka Nacua all day, and the Commanders never found a way to slow him down. Nacua finished with 14 catches for 150 yards and the go-ahead touchdown, the play that pushed the Rams into a 20-13 lead.
The Rams also got a huge day from Myles Garrett, who returned after an opening-game knee injury and wrecked the Commanders’ protection. Garrett finished with three sacks and forced a Daniels fumble, a constant problem for Washington as the game wore on.
Still, the Commanders had one last shot.
Trailing 20-13, Washington took over at its own 9-yard line after a Rams punt and quickly moved into striking distance. Daniels hit Stefon Diggs up the right sideline for 42 yards to reach the Rams’ 49, and a five-yard offside penalty on Los Angeles moved the ball to the 44 with 31 seconds left.
From there, Daniels kept the drive alive with a mix of misses, movement and a key third-down conversion. He went incomplete, then scrambled out of bounds for one yard, then found Van Jefferson for 12 yards and another first down at the Rams’ 31. Two more incompletions followed before the final snap: third-and-10 from the Rams’ 31.
Daniels threw to Chig Okonkwo, who advanced to the Rams’ 11 before lateraling backward. After two scrambles, the Rams recovered at the 20 to end it.
Washington’s offense showed flashes, but not enough consistency to match the Rams or overcome the pressure coming from Garrett and the production from Nacua. The result was another frustrating Sunday for a Commanders team that started with promise and finished empty-handed.
In Other News...
Commanders Get A Needed Boost As Receiver Pressure Suddenly Builds
The Commanders got a welcome reinforcement on the defensive line this week, activating Johnny Newton for the upcoming game against the Rams. It is the kind of roster move that can matter in a hurry for a team trying to keep its front seven steady, especially as the season starts to put more strain on depth across the board.
At the same time, the receiver room took a hit with Dyami Brown landing on injured reserve, a setback that will keep him out from Week 9 through Week 12. Washington also elevated rookie Jaden Bradley from the practice squad to the active roster, a sign the team is looking for immediate help and trying to keep the passing-game rotation from thinning out any further. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Face An Awkward Mike Sainristil Question At Trade Deadline
As the NFL trade deadline approaches, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated put a couple of Commanders names into the conversation, including Mike Sainristil and Dorance Armstrong. For Washington, the Sainristil mention is the more awkward one, because he was a 2024 second-round pick and arrived with real expectations after a strong start to his pro career.
Sainristils role has changed this season as his performance has dipped, and he has been working mostly on special teams. Even with that downturn, Washington has not opened trade talks involving him and still wants to keep developing him, which leaves the front office with a familiar deadline dilemma: listen to outside interest, or stay patient with a young player it still believes in. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Peters Faces A Defining Call As Commanders Hit A Crossroads
The Commanders are heading toward a stretch that could shape how aggressively Adam Peters approaches the 2026 trade deadline, and a lot may depend on whether the team can steady itself in the coming weeks. Washingtons roster has already been thinned by injuries at several spots, leaving the front office with a clearer view of where the depth concerns are and how much help might be needed if the season stays on track.
A key game against the Rams looms as part of that evaluation, with playoff hopes still tied to how the Commanders respond to the pressure around them. Peters has been measured since taking over the roster, but this is the kind of moment where a general manager has to decide whether to stand pat, add around the edges or push harder if the team shows it can remain in the hunt. [Read more 🡒]