Rams winners and losers: Myles Garrett dominates return, Puka Nacua injury clouds win

The Los Angeles Rams might just have some momentum, thanks in large part to Myles Garrett's dominant return.The five-time All-Pro fueled LA's 20-13Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Nov. 8 with a dominant three-sack showing in which he also forced a fumble. The offense was another story, with struggles in the passing game rearing their head again outside of Puka Nacua. Nonetheless, Matthew Stafford was able to lean on the BYU product for 150 yards and connecting with him on the eventual game-winning touchdown three minutes into the fourth quarter.It was enough for the Rams to get their third consecutive win, but Nacua suffered a knee injury on the final offensive play of the game, adding even more questions to a passing attack that was already short-staffed without Davante Adams. With the trade deadline looming on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Les Snead might be forced to act.Here are the winners and losers from the Rams' win over the Commanders:WinnersMyles Garrett Garrett wasted no time in making his impact felt in his first game back from arthroscopic knee surgery. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year finished the day with three sacks and a forced fumble, each of which timelier than the last.His first sack and turnover as a Ram came at the 2:31 mark of the second quarter when his pressure off the edge forced Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to step up in the pocket and roll to his right. Garrett dodged a cut block attempt by tight end John Bates, reached over and swiped the ball out of Daniels' right hand for a strip-sack that Omar Speights recovered.But Garrett's biggest moment of the day came in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard sack that pushed Daniels back to the 50-yard line, taking Washington out of field goal range and protecting the Rams' one-score lead just ahead of the two-minute warning.three sacks for this Myles Garrett guy pic.twitter.com/RpsM3zwHyd— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2026Puka NacuaNacua caught what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in style when he leaped over Commanders cornerback Trey Amos in the back corner of the end zone to give the Rams a 20-13 lead.INSANE TOUCHDOWN CATCH FROM PUKA NACUA 🤯📺 @NFLonFOX | #RamsHousepic.twitter.com/2cNavRnTCJ— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 8, 2026The Rams offense was plagued throughout Sunday by communication issues between Matthew Stafford and his receivers. On more than a few plays, it looked as if they just weren't where the reigning NFL MVP expected them to be, often resulting in overthrows, underthrows and an interception.The lone exception to that was Nacua, who became Stafford's go-to as he became visibly frustrated with his other pass catchers. Nacua caught 14 of Stafford's 26 completions and accounted for 150 of his 228 passing yards, no other Ram had more than 20 receiving yards – highlighting their need for another receiver with Davante Adams out, and with Nacua set to undergo an MRI on Monday after injuring his knee on the final offensive play on Sunday.Aaron DonaldThere is probably no one on this Rams' roster who benefits more from Garrett's return than Donald. The duo with 13 first-team All-Pro honors between them finally shared the field for the first time in Week 9, and the results couldn't have been more exciting for defensive coordinator Chris Shula.Donald's statline Sunday was a pedestrian one tackle, but he was right there on two of Garrett's sacks, generating additional pressure. Expect both to take advantage of more one-on-one opportunities as the weeks go on.LosersMatthew StaffordAs mentioned above, Stafford was not on the same page with any of his receivers not named Puka Nacua for most of Sunday's game. He ended up force-feeding Nacua, to the point where he threw what could've been a costly interception to Nick Cross in the third quarter that set the Commanders offense up at the Rams' 27-yard line, but the defense held firm and forced a field goal.Stafford's frustration looked close to a boiling point, but the offense has been able to produce enough to eke out three wins in a row. It just doesn't feel sustainable, now even less so with Nacua's injury status in flux.Commanders' 2026 seasonThat NFC championship appearance two years ago is looking more and more like a distant memory in the nation's capital. Coming off a disappointing 5-12 campaign in 2025, there was a renewed sense of hope that the Commanders would get back on track in 2026 behind a healthy Jayden Daniels and a weak NFC East. Daniels has again battled injuries this season, however, and Washington now drops to 2-5-1 and sits in third place in the division.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rams winners and losers: Myles Garrett dominates return, Puka Nacua injury clouds win