The Washington Commanders came out swinging against the Los Angeles Rams today, but ultimately fell, bringing their record to 2-5-1.

After taking a 10-6 lead into the locker room at halftime, the Commanders struggled to get the offense going. Suddenly, they struggled to sustain drives, penalties became a problem, and the defense spent too much time on the field. They managed a field goal in the third quarter, but the Rams scored 14 points to win the game 20-13.

Despite the defense spending so much time on the field today, veteran linebacker Frankie Luvu understood the assignment. He stepped up in a big way to support a depleted defensive line, and he set the tone for the game, earning Player of the Game honors.

Luvu led the game with 15 tackles (seven solo), one sack, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. He was everywhere he needed to be on the field Sunday, and he is showing the rest of the defense what they should be doing, too. Before this season started, Luvu said that he was focused on putting last year behind him and being a leader on this team.

Today, Luvu stood out as a defensive leader. Knowing how many injuries are plaguing the defensive line, he knew that the linebackers would have to step up. And that's exactly what he did. Sonny Styles and Nick Cross were terrific, too, but Luvu is our Week 9 Player of the Game.