The Washington Commanders fell to the Los Angeles Rams 20-13 in their eighth game of the season in Northwest Stadium. It was their fifth loss of the season dropping them to 2-5-1, furthering the divide between the Commanders and the New York Giants in the NFC East after the Giants’ win.
This was a defense-dominated game from the start. Both teams only had one drive in the first quarter and both ended in a field goal. However, Washington was able to get the first touchdown of the game on a six-play, 80-yard drive. The touchdown to wide receiver Van Jefferson was set up by a 45-yard catch-and-run to running back Rachaad White.
The next four drives for the Commanders and the Rams ended in punts, followed by back-to-back drives that ended in fumbles.
However, Los Angeles got down to Washington’s two-yard line, but the Commanders’ defense held up to keep the Rams to a field goal, taking a 10-6 lead into halftime.
Los Angeles took its first lead of the game on its opening drive of the second half, but Washington couldn’t respond with punts on its next two drives. However, the Commanders’ defense forced their second turnover of the game on a Matthew Stafford interception, which set up a field goal to tie the game 13-13 going into the fourth quarter.
There were more punts after Los Angeles’ touchdown, but the Commanders got a chance to score in the final few minutes of the game. After failing to convert a fourth-and-17 from midfield, Washington’s defense forced the Rams into a three-and-out and gave them one final chance to win with 52 seconds left and no timeouts.
It started well with a 42-yard completion to Stefon Diggs to get the Commanders into Rams territory. Los Angeles got a five-yard penalty after that, moving Washington a little closer. However, the drive stalled with incompletions on three of the next five plays. On the final play of the game, Daniels got the ball to tight end Chig Okonkwo, who lateralled it backward a few times to try and keep the play alive. But it ultimately failed, and Washington lost the game 20-13.
Play of the Game
first one of the season for Van Jefferson 🙌
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 8, 2026
📺 #LARvsWAS FOX pic.twitter.com/7SbDhDOCZy
First, this was Washington’s only touchdown of the game, which makes it a pretty important play for the Commanders. He also scored against his former team for a revenge touchdown. It also proves anyone can step up for Washington to replace the production lost by Terry McLaurin’s injury.
Numbers to know
- 2: While the Commanders’ defense generated two takeaways, they also turned it over twice. One was on their laterals at the end of the game, so it doesn’t really count. However, their first turnover was on a strip sack on a drive that started out promising in Rams’ territory. Any mistake can be the difference between winning or losing, and this was a big mistake.
- 60: Part of Washington’s problem in this game was their inability to run the ball. They finished with only 60 rushing yards, compared to Los Angeles’ 124. Their leading rusher was Rachaad White, who only had 28 yards. They averaged 3.2 yards per carry. That is not winning football.
- 3/12: Another problem for the Commanders in this game was their lack of third-down efficiency. They converted only three third downs on 12 attempts throughout the game. This is also not the way to win football games, but Los Angeles’ defense also contributed to that.
Game balls
- QB Jayden Daniels: Daniels had the lost fumble, but besides that, he had a good day with 274 passing yards and a touchdown. He also had 16 rushing yards on four attempts. At the end of the game, he tried valiantly to get Washington in the end zone, and his completion to Stefon Diggs was perfect. Despite another loss, Daniels is getting better.
- TE Chig Okonkwo: Okonkwo led the Commanders in targets and receptions in this game with six receptions for 57 yards. He now has two games with at least six receptions in the past three weeks, showing how much he has stepped up since Terry McLaurin’s injury.
- LB Frankie Luvu: Luvu had his best game of the season with 15 total tackles, including seven solo tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, as well as two quarterback hits. He will remain a key part of Washington’s defense through the rest of the season.
What’s next
With the Commanders sitting in third place in the NFC East and three games behind the Giants, they desperately need a win when they take on New York on Thursday Night Football. Washington would fall to four games behind in the division with a loss to the Giants on Thursday.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Instant analysis of the Commanders’ 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams
