Washington’s No. 7 offense tests Rams’ 28th-ranked defense

Landover - Washington’s seventh-ranked offense meets a Los Angeles defense trying to contain one of its clearest statistical concerns when the Commanders host the Rams at Northwest Stadium. Washington averages 393.6 total yards per game, while Los Angeles allows 387.6 and ranks 28th in total defense. That matchup offers the Commanders an opportunity to pressure a Rams team arriving on a two-game losing streak.

Los Angeles enters at 4-4 after consecutive losses to the Raiders and Chargers, a reversal following victories over the Eagles, Bills and Cardinals. Washington is 3-4 and coming off a loss to Philadelphia, with a 2-3 record over its past five games. Both teams are trying to respond to a defeat, but the Rams have the longer active slide to stop.

Washington’s rushing production presents the first test. The Commanders average 161.6 yards on the ground, ranking sixth, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt has 564 yards and four touchdowns on 94 attempts. Los Angeles has been far more effective against the run than its overall defensive ranking might indicate, allowing 99.3 rushing yards per game to rank eighth. That puts Washington’s No. 6 rushing offense directly against the Rams’ No. 8 run defense.

The greater opening for Washington may come through the air. Los Angeles ranks 31st in pass defense at 288.4 yards allowed per game. Jayden Daniels has completed 133 of 200 passes for 1,558 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, while Stefon Diggs has 37 receptions for 438 yards and two scores. Washington ranks 21st in passing offense at 232 yards per game, but the matchup with the Rams’ pass defense could be central to how the Commanders approach the game.

Los Angeles counters with an offense averaging 28.5 points, good for 10th in the league. Matthew Stafford has completed 138 of 210 attempts for 1,736 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Puka Nacua has supplied 35 catches for 550 yards and six touchdowns, giving Stafford a productive option against a Washington pass defense that ranks 21st at 258.3 yards allowed per game.

The Rams also have a productive ground component. Kyren Williams has rushed 108 times for 589 yards and six touchdowns, while Los Angeles averages 123.8 rushing yards per game and ranks 14th. Washington allows 113.6 rushing yards per game, ranking ninth, so the Commanders’ ability to handle Williams could help determine whether Stafford regularly operates in favorable situations.

Both injury reports introduce significant questions. Daniels is listed with a broken ankle, Croskey-Merritt with an abdominal tear and Diggs with a foot fracture. Washington also lists left tackle Laremy Tunsil with a dislocated knee. The report does not establish their availability, but the presence of several leading offensive players makes Washington’s personnel situation an important part of the matchup.

Los Angeles has its own extensive injury list. Davante Adams is dealing with a torn labrum, while Aaron Donald appears with a broken ankle and Myles Garrett with a broken thumb. Their availability also is not established. Those listings add another variable for a team whose scoring defense remains ninth at 22.4 points allowed per game despite its lower total-defense and pass-defense rankings.

Washington won the previous meeting 35-14 in Week 16 of Season 35, but that result serves only as historical context for a new matchup. This game centers on whether the Commanders can translate their No. 7 total offense into production against the Rams’ 28th-ranked defense, or whether Los Angeles can lean on its ninth-ranked scoring defense and balanced offensive leaders to end its two-game skid.