Washington’s defensive front is walking into the Rams game with less margin for error than ever.
The Commanders already played Sunday night without Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw in a 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, then moved both defensive tackles to injured reserve on Tuesday. Payne’s season is reportedly over because of a Jones fracture in his foot. Kinlaw, meanwhile, will now miss at least four more games beyond the Eagles matchup after landing on IR.
Even with those absences, Washington found a way to control the Eagles on the ground. Philadelphia finished with 91 rushing yards on 29 carries, and Saquon Barkley was held to 30 yards on 13 attempts while dealing with back and hamstring issues, though he had no game designation against Washington.
The burden fell to the next wave of interior defenders. Tim Settle Jr. logged 42 snaps, good for 61 percent of the defensive workload.
Shy Tuttle played 32 snaps, or 46 percent, and Byron Cowart added 11 snaps after being elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. Head coach Dan Quinn said he liked what he saw from the front seven, especially against the run.
"I knew the run game on the defensive side was gonna be an important one, so I liked what that looked like of guys setting edges," Quinn said.
That job gets a lot tougher against Los Angeles. The Rams have been leaning on both Blake Corum and Kyren Williams, and the pair has shown they can hit in different ways.
Against the Chargers on Sunday, Corum ran for 73 yards on 11 carries, while Williams added 56 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. The week before, Corum piled up 93 rushing yards against the Raiders and has now scored a touchdown from scrimmage in four straight games.
Corum’s production can arrive in a hurry. Against the Chargers, he ripped off 55 rushing yards on five carries during the opening possession of the second half, finishing that drive with a 23-yard touchdown that put the Rams ahead 17-9.
That kind of backfield balance is exactly what Washington has to account for. The Rams can keep fresh legs coming at the defense and try to wear it down over four quarters, which means the Commanders’ rotation has to stay sharp and disciplined.
Corum put it plainly after Sunday’s game: "Our big thing here, Coach McVay always says, is stamina. And so I knew one of them was going to crack," Corum said Sunday.
Washington’s challenge is made even steeper by its own health situation. With Payne done for the year, Kinlaw not eligible to return before December 6 at Tennessee, and Jer’Zhan (Johnny) Newton still in his 21-day practice window, the Commanders are stretched thin up front. Cowart reverted to the practice squad Monday, so his Eagles elevation does not automatically make him available against the Rams.
For Washington, the task now is simple to say and hard to pull off: build a front-seven rotation that can hold up against the run without wearing itself out in the process.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Major Rams Injury Watch This Week
The Rams got a notable update this week when Myles Garrett returned to limited practice after left knee surgery, putting his status back on the radar as Washington prepares for the matchup. Sean McVay said the veteran would handle about half his usual practice repetitions, a sign Los Angeles is easing him back into the routine while keeping a close eye on how the knee responds.
For the Commanders, it adds another layer to a game plan that already had to account for a talented Rams front. Matthew Stafford sounded encouraged by Garretts progress toward playing, but the Rams are still treating the decision as a day-to-day evaluation, which leaves Washington waiting to see whether one of Los Angeles most disruptive defenders will be available when the teams meet. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A New Problem Up Front Before Rams Game
The Commanders Week 9 injury report brought a little more clarity before their matchup with the Rams, but it also underscored how thin things are getting up front. JerZhan Newton was a full participant after being limited last week as he continues working back from a torn pectoral muscle, while the rest of the report featured a mix of limited and absent players across the roster.
The bigger concern came with Shy Tuttle, who was limited because of a shoulder injury at a time when Washington is already trying to patch together its defensive front. Treylon Burks sat out with a foot issue after playing in the previous game, and Stefon Diggs was given a rest day, leaving the Commanders with a few moving parts to monitor as they head into a matchup that could test their depth early. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Get A Big Chance To Prove Last Week Was Real
The Commanders get a fresh measuring-stick opportunity at Northwest Stadium this week, with the Rams coming to Landover after Washingtons win over the Eagles turned a lot of heads. It is the kind of follow-up game that can tell you whether a breakthrough was a one-week jolt or the start of something sturdier, especially with Los Angeles also arriving off a victory of its own over the Chargers.
For Washington, the setting only sharpens the stakes. A home crowd, a quality opponent and a national spotlight on local FOX make this feel like more than just another Sunday afternoon, even if the broadcast crew is a familiar one for viewers. The Commanders do not need to make a statement to themselves so much as to everyone still wondering whether last week was the real thing. [Read more 🡒]