The Washington Commanders entered Week 9 with some positive momentum for the first time in a while.

The team picked up a dominant win over the rival Eagles in Week 8, and the hope was that the team could string some wins together and go on a run. Unfortunately, the red-hot Rams were the next team on the schedule, and the Commanders ultimately fell just short.

Jayden Daniels and the offense had a chance to tie or win the game at the end, but were unable to do so, and the Rams escaped with a 20-13 victory. Now, let's go ahead and identify the players who impressed and the players who didn't in this one.

Stud: Jayden Daniels

This loss can't be pinned on Jayden Daniels. The quarterback completed 24 of 35 passes for 274 yards ad one touchdown. Daniels did lose a fumble, but the offensive line was not good today.

Daniels didn’t have a perfect game by any means, but he didn't get a ton of help either. 274 yards should be enough to win most games, and the quarterback had a couple of nice scrambles, too. There are a couple of throws Daniels would probably like back.

Dud: Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler

I’ve complained about this running back room a lot this season, and today was another example of a disappointing showing. Rachaad White rushed seven times for 28 yards and also fumbled twice, while Austin Ekeler rushed eight times for 16 yards.

This running back room just isn’t consistent enough. Inconsistency is bad enough, but it's even worse when you can’t hold on to the ball.

Stud: Van Jefferson

Van Jefferson showed up against his former team. The receiver ended with five catches for 58 yards and one touchdown. Daniels needed a receiver to show up, and Jefferson answered the call.

This was only Jefferson’s second game of the season, but he probably earned some more playing time after today’s performance.

Dud: Offensive line

Myles Garrett completely dominated this offensive line today. The star edge rusher racked up three sacks, and the Rams as a team had four sacks, six tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits. The Rams also forced four fumbles.

This was also going to be a tough test for the Commanders’ offensive line, but it’s safe to say they did not pass said test. It’s hard to win games when the defense is living in the backfield.

Stud: Frankie Luvu

Frankie Luvu had his best performance of the season today. The linebacker racked up a game-high 15 tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and one sack.

Luvu’s sack was the only sack of the day for the Commanders and was his second sack of the season.

Dud: Secondary

Once again, the entire secondary at least deserves some blame for this loss. The Commanders simply had no answer for Puka Nacua, who ended with 14 catches for 150 yards and one touchdown. It didn’t matter who was primarily on Nacua; the star receiver got open and made plays.

It’s concerning because you can’t have any faith that this defense will ever stop an elite receiver. There doesn’t seem to be an easy fix, either.