Rams Grind Out Ugly 20-13 Win Over Commanders as Stafford Still Looks Lost and Washington Wastes a Chance

The Los Angeles Rams walked out of Northwest Stadium with a 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, but it was the kind of victory that raises more questions than it answers. This was not a statement game. It was a slog. Matthew Stafford still does not look like himself, the Rams offense remains heavily dependent on one player, and the Commanders closed the game in a way that made almost no sense.

What Actually Happened

The game stayed tight for most of the afternoon. Washington scored on a short touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Van Jefferson in the second quarter to take a 10-6 lead into halftime. The Rams responded in the third with a short Blake Corum rushing touchdown to go up 13-10. The Commanders answered with a field goal to tie it at 13.

Then, early in the fourth quarter, Stafford found Puka Nacua for a 7-yard touchdown in the end zone. That made it 20-13, and the Rams managed to hold on. Nacua finished with a big day — double-digit catches and well over 100 yards. He remains the clear best player on the Rams offense and continues to make the difficult catches look routine. Everyone else is secondary.

Stafford, meanwhile, still looks sluggish. He finished around 26-of-43 for roughly 220-230 yards with one touchdown and an interception. The ball is not coming out cleanly. He is not finding his rhythm, and the offense still feels stuck in second gear more often than not. The Rams have talent around him, but right now too much of the production is running through Nacua.

The End of the Game Made No Sense for Washington

With the game still within reach late and time left on the clock, the Commanders had an opportunity to push the ball down the field. Instead of taking a shot at the end zone with roughly eight seconds remaining, they threw short routes for minimal gain. That is not how you play the final seconds of a one-score game when you are trailing. A Hail Mary is a low-percentage play, but it is the correct low-percentage play in that situation. Short passes that pick up a few yards and run the clock do nothing. The decision falls on the coaching staff and the play-calling. Jayden Daniels has the arm and the mobility to give them a chance. They chose not to take it.

Who Deserves Blame

For the Rams, the issues are clear. Stafford has not found his mojo. The offense is still too reliant on Nacua and is not consistently creating explosive plays outside of him. They got the win, but this was not a clean performance. Penalties and inefficiency kept the Commanders in the game longer than they should have been.

For Washington, the late-game decision is the easiest target. When you are down and the clock is running out, you have to take the shot. Conservative play-calling in that spot is hard to defend. Dan Quinn’s seat is not on fire after every loss, but this team continues to find ways to fall short in close games. Postgame talks will happen, as they always do, but the bigger issue is whether the offense can consistently threaten teams down the field when it matters.

What’s Wrong with the Rams and Will They Figure It Out?

The Rams are 5-4 after this win and still have talent, but the offense is not clicking the way it should. Stafford needs to be better. The supporting cast outside of Nacua has to contribute more consistently. They are capable of better performances than what they showed for long stretches on Sunday. Whether they actually clean it up remains to be seen.

They face the Arizona Cardinals next. That is a winnable game on paper, but the Rams will need more from Stafford and a more complete offensive effort if they want to build any real momentum.

Bottom Line

The Rams got the win. Puka Nacua was the best player on the field. Stafford still looks off, and the Commanders closed the game poorly by refusing to take a real shot at the end zone when they had the chance. Neither side looked sharp. The Rams have enough talent to figure it out. Washington is still searching for answers, and late-game decisions like the one they made on Sunday will not help.