Rams vs. Commanders Preview: Playoff Push Intensifies

The Los Angeles Rams face a must-win scenario in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders

The Los Angeles Rams host the Washington Commanders in an NFC showdown with playoff implications in Sofi Stadium. The Rams have a chance to hand Washington its fifth-straight loss. 

Rest advantage goes to the Commanders, who are fresh off their bye week. Last Sunday, the Rams lost a heartbreaker to the Baltimore Ravens in overtime, 37-31.

L.A. hosts twice in five days; Playing the Commanders on Sunday and then the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.

Each of the Rams' four remaining games plays major importance in their playoff chances. If the postseason started today, L.A. would be on the outside looking in at No. 8. A loss to Washington would be a major setback in their race for a wild card spot. 

The Rams look to get after quarterback Sam Howell, who has been sacked a league-leading 58 times. Howell is having a strong season, with 18 passing touchdowns and adding another five rushing scores on the ground. The fifth-leading passer in the NFL with 3,466 yards, Howell's 509 attempts are the most in the league entering Week 15.

Howell is also on record watch. He needs 13 completions to rank third all-time in franchise history in a single season. Howell (335) would pass QB Kirk Cousins (342) who accomplished the feat in 2017.

The Commanders are the 32nd-ranked defense in the NFL and face the challenge of containing quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford has totaled three or more touchdowns in each of the Rams' last three games and is completing 63.1 percent of his passes.

matthew stafford / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Commanders sit last in the NFC East division, behind the 10-3 Eagles, the 10-3 Dallas Cowboys, and 5-8 New York Giants. Nearing the bottom of the NFC conference rankings with four games left, the Commanders are a long shot to make the postseason.

RECORDS: Washington Commanders (4-9) at Los Angeles Rams (6-7)

ODDS: Los Angeles is a 6.5-point favorite vs. the Commanders

GAME TIME: Sunday, December 17th, 2023 at 4:05 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Sofi Stadium - Inglewood, CA

TV/RADIO: CBS, 105.3 The Fan

THE FINAL WORD: Puka Nacua caught five of his eight targets for 84 yards last week, including a diving catch on the receiving end of one of the season’s best throws. Coach McVay on what makes him special: 

“He's made a lot of great plays that have really positively affected the outcome of games or for our offense, but he's doing a lot of things in the run game,” McVay said. “There's a physical nature at which he plays this game … that enables you to do a lot more than what you would otherwise. So there's a toughness both with and without the ball, there's a football IQ and acumen that he possesses, and there's a humility.”