In his first game since knee surgery, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year closed out Washington with two fourth-quarter sacks and showed what he and Aaron Donald can do together.
Sean McVay values performance under pressure more than raw ability. When he talks about “competitive greatness,” he means a player who raises his level at the moment his team needs it most.
Myles Garrett met that standard on Sunday.
In his first game back from arthroscopic knee surgery, Garrett anchored a shorthanded Rams defense in a 20-13 win over the Commanders at Northwest Stadium. He had three sacks, a forced fumble, three quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.
“He was at his best when his best was required,” McVay said. The coach mentioned that the penalties need cleaning up, but he praised Garrett for making his presence felt down the stretch.
A season that nearly started without him
In a sense, this was Garrett’s real debut with the Rams. He tried to play through the knee injury in Week 1, logged 40 snaps and didn’t record a single stat. He had surgery the following week and didn’t play again until Sunday.
Garrett has been blunt about that opener. He called it the worst version of himself he had ever put on the field, so the relief after his first sack was easy to understand.
“Man, it was a weight off my shoulders,” he said. “Just getting back to who I am.”
He was careful not to oversell the comeback. Garrett said he’s still well short of where he expects to be in his play and his movement, but he called the game a needed confidence boost for him and for the teammates around him.
Efficiency on a pitch count
Los Angeles limited his workload, and he made the most of it. Garrett played 35 of the defense’s 58 snaps, roughly 60 percent. According to Next Gen Stats, he rushed the passer 27 times and produced six pressures and three sacks, a 22.2 percent pressure rate.
The performance also has historical weight in Los Angeles. Garrett is the first Ram to post at least three sacks and a forced fumble in one game since Donald did it in Week 5 of 2020, also against Washington. He’s the first Ram with three or more sacks of any kind since Donald in Week 14 of 2021 at Arizona.
It was the ninth three-sack game of Garrett’s career, and it raised his career total to 128.5.
When the sacks mattered
When the sacks happened mattered as much as how many there were.
Late in the second quarter, with the Rams trailing, Garrett stripped Jayden Daniels. Brandon McManus turned the takeaway into a 30-yard field goal, which pulled Los Angeles within four at the half.
Garrett saved the rest for the fourth quarter, after the Rams had gone ahead. An early five-yard sack left Washington facing third-and-long. A 12-yard sack in the final minutes forced a punt and protected the Rams’ seven-point lead.
The Rams paid a lot to land Garrett because they wanted a pass rusher who could finish games. They hadn’t had a dependable one since Donald first retired in the 2024 offseason. Two games into his Rams career, Garrett has filled that role.
“I am that closer,” he said, “so we don’t need to look any further.”
The Donald effect, doubled
The game also gave fans their first look at Garrett and Donald on the field together, and the early numbers are encouraging. Per Next Gen Stats, when both were on the field for 23 snaps, the Rams allowed 5.0 yards per play and recorded four sacks. On the other 19 snaps, Washington averaged 8.1 yards per play, scored a touchdown and wasn’t sacked at all.
Donald, smiling, said a couple of Garrett’s sacks felt like shared ones. He added that all he cares about is finding a way to win every week.
Shaking off the rust
Garrett’s afternoon had rough patches. He admitted he felt “rusty as hell” in the first half, when he was flagged twice. He said the key was staying in the moment and leaning on his teammates.
“So just try to focus on the plays I was in, and not worry about the last one,” he said.
What it means for the standings
The offense was uneven, but the defense carried the load, and the win lifted Los Angeles to 5-4. The Rams are tied with Seattle for second in the NFC West, and the Seahawks hold the tiebreaker. Both teams are close behind Green Bay, which holds the NFC’s seventh and final playoff spot.
Next up is a division game against the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday. If Garrett’s snap count climbs as his knee allows, Arizona’s offensive line could have a long afternoon.
Sports Report Kaleef Thompson