The Los Angeles Rams kept their playoff dreams alive in their 28-20 win over the Washington Commanders.
During the first half, the Rams held the Commanders to 39 rushing yards and 52 passing yards. Linebacker Earnest Jones IV led the defensive effort with seven total tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack for a loss of eight yards.
“It’s a testament to how we like to play defense,” Jones IV said. “We like to play physical … Today was our day. Defensively, we had the right call, we had everything dialed in and we were playing really good football.”
Kyren Williams remained effective despite giving up the ball to the Commanders twice. He led the running game with 27 carries for 152 yards. Rams head coach Sean McVay noted how William’s mistakes are “correctable.”
Related Stories
Angel City FC, Birdies Launch SOAR Internship Program
Cops Shot an Unarmed Black Man 43 Times…So What?
“You can see it was getting a little loose even on the great run he had earlier in the game, it’s kind of getting away from his body,” McVay said. “He’ll learn from it and he’s the type of guy that has the right football character, the right mindset and mentality to be able to use these things as learning ops.”
McVay reassured Williams that he still has trust in him briefly after the turnovers occurred. As of week 15, Williams has 1145 offensive yards.
“1000 yards is cool, it’s something I work for every season,” Williams said. “I told myself coming into this year it’s unacceptable if I don’t get 1000. I don’t have 1000 rushes yet but I got 1000 scrimmage yards.”
Quarterback Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp made plays reminiscent of their Super Bowl-winning season, one including a 62-yard touchdown pass. Kupp praised Stafford’s abilities in the pocket.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for it, what he’s able to do in the pocket,” Kupp said. “How he moves and the throws he makes, even the ones that are deep out when he’s throwing off backpedals, side arms out there.”
The offense also converted on seven third downs by halftime. Ultimately, they converted on nine of their 16 third downs.
After Commanders quarterback Sam Howell threw an interception, back-up signal-caller Jacoby Brissett stepped in and brought a spark to Washington. He scored two touchdown passes on consecutive possessions, bringing the Commanders within eight points.
“We were just running down the field more and trying to push the ball down the field more and guys just made plays,” Brissett said. “It was exicting, I had fun. I’m a little bit out of breath right now but it was definitely fun to be back out there.”
The matchup was Brissett’s first game of the season, he ended the day with eight passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Howell completed 11 passes for 102. Brissett told Howell not to be discouraged by his performance.
“This isn’t a product of who he is … he’s top 10 in the League in passing for a reason,” Brissett said about Howell. “He’s gonna be a good player in this league for a long time, this shouldn’t discourage him.”
Brissett is a seven-year veteran in the NFL. In 2016, Brissett became the first African American starting quarterback of the New England Patriots. He played for the Indianapolis, Miami Dolphins, and Cleveland Browns before reaching Washington.
