Garrett Gets Three Sacks in His Return, Nacua Catches 14 as Rams Beat Commanders 20-13

Puka Nacua's fourth-quarter touchdown broke a 13-13 tie, and the Rams moved above .500 for the first time this season with their third straight win.

By Herald Staff · Nov. 8, 2026, 5:20 PM ET

Aerial view of the Washington Commanders' stadium in Landover, Maryland, its bowl of red and gold seats ringed by a white steel canopy, surrounded by empty parking lots and bare late-winter trees. — The Commanders' stadium in Landover, Md., now called Northwest Stadium, seen from the air in 2018 when it was FedExField. The Rams beat Washington there 20-13 on Sunday. Photo: Duane Lempke / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (license).

LANDOVER, Md. — Myles Garrett had waited since Week 1 to play again. He needed about a quarter and a half to change the game. In his first appearance since a knee procedure, the Rams' star edge rusher sacked Jayden Daniels three times and forced a fumble, and Puka Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards and the go-ahead touchdown as Los Angeles beat the Washington Commanders 20-13 on Sunday at Northwest Stadium, according to NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk.

The win lifts the Rams to 5-4, putting them above .500 for the first time this season and extending their winning streak to three games. Washington fell to 2-5-1, per the CBS Sports box score.

Another Slow Start

For the second straight week, the Rams' offense sputtered early. Los Angeles managed just 149 yards in the first half and failed on all seven of its third-down tries before the break, according to VAVEL's play-by-play. Brandon McManus kicked a 33-yard field goal to answer Drew Stevens' opening 37-yarder, but Washington took a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter when Daniels hit Rachaad White for 45 yards and then found Van Jefferson for a 7-yard touchdown.

Garrett gave the Rams their opening. His first sack knocked the ball loose from Daniels late in the second quarter, and linebacker Omar Speights recovered at the Washington 43. That set up McManus' 20-yard field goal as time expired, and the Rams went to the locker room down only 10-6.

Corum Sparks, Nacua Finishes

The second half belonged to the running game at first. Blake Corum ripped off runs of 15, 7 and 6 yards on the opening drive of the third quarter and capped the eight-play, 69-yard march with a short touchdown run that gave the Rams their first lead, 13-10. Corum finished with 58 yards and the score on 11 carries, according to Rams Wire.

Matthew Stafford then handed Washington a gift. Safety Nick Cross intercepted a pass meant for Nacua, and Stevens turned it into a 41-yard field goal that tied the game 13-13 late in the third. The Rams' defense held there, and Stafford responded on the next possession, driving the offense into the red zone before finding Nacua in the corner of the end zone with 12:51 to play. Nacua outfought his defender for the ball to put Los Angeles ahead for good.

Stafford finished 26 of 43 for 228 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Nacua, who also ran twice for 20 yards, posted the third-highest catch total of his career, Pro Football Talk noted.

The Defense Holds On

The Rams played without cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, both injured, and still held Washington to 312 total yards and three conversions on 12 third downs, Rams Wire reported. Washington's running backs managed just 44 rushing yards. Garrett added two more sacks in the fourth quarter, one of them on the play right after he was flagged for a neutral zone infraction, and the Commanders turned the ball over on downs near midfield with two minutes left.

Washington got one last chance. Daniels moved the Commanders into Rams territory and spiked the ball at the Los Angeles 31 with nine seconds left. On the final play, tight end Chig Okonkwo caught a pass and tried a lateral that came up short of the end zone, and the Rams recovered to end it. Daniels finished 24 of 35 for 273 yards and a touchdown.

Garrett's three sacks were a big jump for a pass rush that had just 12 as a team before Sunday. The Rams still have things to clean up: they were 3 of 14 on third down and were penalized eight times for 70 yards, according to Rams Wire.

What's Next

The Rams stay on the road next Sunday at Arizona, a rematch of their Week 6 home loss to the Cardinals, before their Week 11 bye. Washington has a quick turnaround, facing the New York Giants on Thursday night.

Original reporting by The Los Angeles Herald, drawing on NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk, Rams Wire, VAVEL's play-by-play and the CBS Sports box score, as linked above.