Coach Dan Quinn's Washington Commanders watched their offense stall out in a deflating 20-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams as QB Jayden Daniels was without two key weapons on offense. The Commanders were the subject of Brandon Aiyuk rumors as they made due with their roster against Matthew Stafford's team.
The Commanders took the game down to the wire and were trailing 20-13 when Daniels and his offense had the ball at the 32-yard-line of the Rams. Daniels threw a quick pass over the middle that resulted in two hapless laterals and a 20-13 defeat as the play ended shy of the 20-yard-line.
Quinn said that the short pass (checkdown) was the result of a blitz by the Rams, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports, and added that he was “not happy with the execution of that play.”
Yardage totals were close as the Rams racked up 343 yards to 313 for the Commanders. The Commanders got 274 yards from Daniels and one passing touchdown, made more impressive by the amount of personnel they were lacking on offense. Van Jefferson led Washington's patchwork receiver room with 58 yards and a touchdown while Chigoziem Okonkwo had 57 yards and Stefon Diggs had 51.
Quinn warned his team about the Rams' high-powered offense before the game and they heeded his warning, holding Stafford to 228 yards. Puka Nacua lit up the Commanders' secondary with 150 yards and a touchdown, which will be a coaching point heading into Week 10.
The Commanders are now 2-5-1 and face what could be described as a must-win game against the Giants in Week 10 with health at the forefront of fans' minds after a blown opportunity against the Rams.