Washington Commanders Comeback Bid Falls Short vs. Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams beat the Washington Commanders to give them their 10th loss of the season.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 17, 2023

In this story:

The Washington Commanders will head back to the east coast frustrated after a 28-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

The Commanders struggled on offense to start the game, getting shut out in the first half. The Rams tacked on 13 points to take the lead going into the locker room.

The Rams scored another touchdown to go up 20-0 early in the third quarter, but then the Commanders began to chip away in a too little, too late fashion.

Sam Howell found Curtis Samuel for a 19-yard score to break the scoreless run for the Commanders late in the third quarter. Howell had arguably his worst game of the season, completing just 11 of 26 passes for 102 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Dec 17, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws as Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) moves in during the first half at SoFi Stadium / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In the middle of the fourth quarter, veteran Jacoby Brissett entered the game and immediately gave the offense a spark. Brissett led a five-play, 67-yard drive in the middle of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to two touchdowns.

The Commanders were able to get the ball right back and take advantage, where Terry McLaurin caught a pass and ran it down to the 1-yard line with about five minutes to go. McLaurin had his best game of the season, catching six passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.

WATCH: Commanders Safety Percy Butler Forces Fumble vs. Rams

However, Washington stalled on the goal line, running nine plays before Brissett found Samuel for his second touchdown of the game.

The Commanders tried to kick it onside, but were unsuccessful. The Rams kneeled to end the game and capture the victory.

The Commanders are back in action on Christmas Eve when they host the New York Jets. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.

Published Dec 17, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.