Garrett Has 3 Sacks in Return as Rams Top Commanders

Myles Garrett did not need long to remind everyone what he does. In his first game back from knee surgery, he poked the ball out of Jayden Daniels’ hands on a strip sack late in the first half, finished with three sacks, and the Los Angeles Rams beat the Washington Commanders 20-13 at Northwest Stadium, the Rams’ official recap showed.

The win was the Rams’ third straight and moved them to 5-4, above .500 for the first time this season after a 2-4 start. Washington falls to 2-5-1. Los Angeles visits the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.

Three Sacks, Two Big Moments

Garrett’s first sack flipped the half. Nacua had just fumbled the ball away, and Garrett answered by stripping Daniels. Linebacker Omar Speights recovered with 2:20 left before halftime, and Brandon McManus kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired to cut Washington’s lead to 10-6.

His third sack came with 2:31 left and forced a Commanders punt while the Rams protected a seven-point lead. Garrett finished with three sacks, a forced fumble, three quarterback hits and three tackles for loss. He played 35 of 58 defensive snaps, a 60.3 percent share, and generated six pressures. It was also the first game the Rams have had Garrett and Aaron Donald on the field together.

Nacua Did the Heavy Lifting, Then Got Hurt

Puka Nacua caught 14 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets. His 7-yard touchdown from Matthew Stafford with 12:51 left was the go-ahead score. The worry is what came next. Nacua hurt his knee on the Rams’ final offensive snap, a handoff on third-and-11. The Rams do not believe it is a torn ACL, and he is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

The offense was not pretty. The Rams did not convert a third down until 2:48 remained in the third quarter, starting 0 for 9, and Stafford threw an interception that led to the tying field goal. Washington had one last push, reaching the Rams 31 with 9 seconds left. Safety Jaylen McCollough forced a fumble, and Byron Young recovered to end it.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Rams team sacks at Arizona. Garrett produced three sacks and six pressures on just 60 percent of the snaps in his return. If the Rams hold his snaps around that level again, keep the lean on the team total rather than Garrett alone, since Donald and Young are also on the field.

The Rams finally look like the team everyone expected in August. Now they need good news on Nacua’s knee before Arizona.