After facing two of the best defenses in the NFL the last two weeks, the Los Angeles Rams get a nice break in Week 15 when they host the Washington Commanders. Washington has arguably the worst defense in football, and even though the Commanders are coming off a bye, it’s a favorable matchup for Los Angeles.
Not to mention, Aaron Donald owned Washington the last time he played them, and Matthew Stafford has never lost to this franchise in his career.
Below are seven key stats to know for Sunday’s matchup, which kicks off at 4:05 p.m. ET.
1
Commanders have allowed most points and yards in NFL
No defense in the NFL has allowed more yards (4,938) or points (395) than the Commanders this season. In fact, they’ve given up 54 more points than any other team, which is an average of about four points per game more than anyone else.
That’s quite terrible, and now they’re without linebacker Jamin Davis for the rest of the season. the Rams shouldn’t have much trouble moving the ball against Washington on Sunday afternoon. It’s the worst defense in football and the Rams offense is hitting its stride, which is a bad combination for Washington.
2
Commanders rank last vs. the pass this season
As bad as Washington has been overall as a defense, the coverage and pass defense is by far the worst in football. The Commanders have given up 3,458 yards through the air, the most in the NFL. They’ve allowed 30 touchdown passes, again the most in the NFL. Their six interceptions are tied for the second-fewest, and their 7.2 net yards per pass attempt allowed is the highest rate in the league.
With Montez Sweat and Chase Young both gone, too, the pass rush is significantly worse than it was at the start of the season. Matthew Stafford should be able to pick apart this secondary.
3
Aaron Donald had career-high 4 sacks last time he faced Washington
Donald went off in his last game against Washington, which was back in 2020. He recorded four tackles, all of which were sacks, landing three hits on the quarterback and forcing one fumble. The Rams won that game easily, 30-10, and Donald was a big part of that defensive dominance.
Those four sacks are tied for a career-high in a single game by Donald, matching his four sacks against the 49ers in 2018.
4
Washington is 26-14-1 all-time vs. Rams
The Rams-Washington rivalry goes all the way back to 1937 and for the most part, it’s been Washington dominating this matchup. Washington is 26-14-1 all-time against the Rams, including a 1-1 record with Sean McVay as the head coach in Los Angeles.
The Rams won the most recent meeting, 30-10, but Washington won the one before that, which was McVay’s second game ever as an NFL head coach.
5
Matthew Stafford has never lost to Washington
Stafford is a perfect 5-0 against the Commanders in his career, all of which came as a member of the Lions. His most recent game against Washington was in 2020, a 30-27 victory by the Lions where Stafford had three touchdown passes and no interceptions.
In those five games, Stafford has thrown for 1,380 yards with 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions. His passer rating is an impressive 99.8 and he's averaging a healthy 7.46 yards per attempt against Washington.
6
Rams and Commanders are both bottom 8 in pressure rate
Neither the Rams nor the Commanders rank very well in terms of how frequently they generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. According to Pro Football Reference, the Rams have a pressure rate of only 19.5%, which is the seventh-lowest in the NFL. The Commanders' pressure rate of 19.6% is barely better than Los Angeles', putting them eighth-worst in that category.
Donald, Kobie Turner and Byron Young are all playing well, but the Rams as a team don't generate pressure at a very high rate.
7
Sam Howell has been sacked 10 times more than any other QB
Howell has taken a beating as a result of Washington's struggling offensive line. He's been sacked 58 times in 13 starts this season, which is 10 more sacks than the next-closest player has taken (Bryce Young, 48).
He's a mobile quarterback but even he can’t avoid all of the pass rushers that have swarmed him this season.
