LANDOVER, Md. — The Washington Commanders fell 20-13 to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, undone in large part by the return of defensive end Myles Garrett, who came back from a seven-game absence following knee surgery and immediately dominated.
Garrett, the two-time reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, recorded three sacks and forced a fumble in his first game back since Week 1. Quarterback Jayden Daniels summed up the afternoon bluntly after the game.
“I tried to step up. I saw Van [Jefferson] on the corner. I was trying to throw it, and then Myles Garrett happened,” Daniels said.
Garrett’s first sack came late in the second quarter, when he stripped Daniels of the ball. Linebacker Omar Speights recovered the fumble, snuffing out a Washington drive that could have extended its 10-3 lead at the time.
Daniels finished 24-of-35 passing for 274 yards and one touchdown, adding 16 rushing yards on four carries. But Washington’s offense struggled to find consistency elsewhere, managing just 60 rushing yards as a team and converting only three of 12 third-down attempts.
Garrett added a second sack early in the fourth quarter and a third with 2:31 remaining, forcing a Washington punt as the Commanders’ comeback hopes faded.
“It’s tough, and you’re asking a lot of people to hold up and block Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett,” Daniels said when asked about his offensive line’s performance. “You can’t really stop them, but you can slow them down.”
After the game, Garrett made clear he sees himself as the centerpiece of the Rams’ defense down the stretch.
“I am that closer,” Garrett said. “So we don’t need to look any further.”
The loss drops Washington as it continues to navigate a season complicated by injuries on both sides of the ball, with Daniels and the offense now facing the task of shoring up protection against elite pass rushers in the weeks ahead.
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