The Los Angeles Rams will travel across the country to Landover, Maryland, this week to take on the Washington Commanders. The Commanders are only 2-4-1 on the year but they've had some close calls and even upset the Seattle Seahawks earlier this season.
They're not a team to take lightly, especially with Jayden Daniels healthy and taking good care of the football.
Here are five stats and facts to know for Sunday's matchup between the Rams and Commanders.
Rams haven't allowed first-quarter touchdown all season
Neither the Rams nor the Commanders have been lighting it up in the first quarter, ranking 22nd and 18th in points per game, respectively. But Los Angeles' defense has been outstanding in the first 15 minutes of games. The Rams have yet to allow a first-quarter touchdown this season, giving up an average
of only 2.6 points per game in the first frame.
If the offense can get off to a fast start, the Rams should be able to grab an early lead on the road.
Commanders have fewest turnovers in NFL
Jayden Daniels has yet to throw an interception, and as a team, the Commanders have given the ball away just three times all year. They have the fewest turnovers in the NFL, which doesn't bode particularly well for a Rams defense that only has eight takeaways this season (12th-fewest).
The Rams picked off Justin Herbert twice last week, but they shouldn't expect the same mistakes to be made by Daniels on Sunday.
Commanders have second-worst third-down offense, third-worst red zone defense
When it comes to situational football, the Commanders are terrible. They had the clock-management blunder a few weeks ago against the Giants, and in key moments, they've faltered more than once. When it comes to third down, fourth down and red zone, the Commanders don't rank in the top half of the NFL in any category – on offense or defense.
They're 31st in third-down offense, converting only 31.9% of the time. And when it comes to defending the red zone, they're the third-worst, allowing touchdowns on 79.2% of opponents' trips inside the 20.
Kyren Williams has more rushing yards than Commanders' top 3 RBs combined
The Commanders are ninth in the NFL in rushing yards, but that's largely because Daniels has 236 yards, which ranks second on the team. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has 239 yards, Rachaad White has 200 and Austin Ekeler has 67; they're the Commanders' top three running backs.
By himself, Kyren Williams has 548 yards on the ground, which is 42 more yards than those three running backs combined.
Commanders blitz at a higher rate than all but 5 teams
Matthew Stafford should be prepared to get blitzed this weekend. Dan Quinn loves to dial up blitzes, sending extra rushers at the quarterback, especially on third down. According to Pro Football Reference, the Commanders' blitz rate of 34.9% is the sixth-highest in the NFL. Their 25.6% pressure rate is also the seventh-highest, so they know how to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 5 stats and facts to know for Rams vs. Commanders in Week 9
