“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season that recalls the previous game between Washington and the Commanders’ next opponent.

Los Angeles 28, Washington 20: Week 15, Dec. 17, 2023

The Commanders rally fell short, as Washington lost 28-20 to the Los Angeles Rams before 72,000 fans at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Here are the game highlights.

Trailing 28-7 with 9:05 remaining, the Commanders drove 67 yards in just five plays, ending with QB Jacoby Brissett finding WR Terry McLaurin for a 29-yard touchdown to make it 28-14. Daron Payne then broke through and sacked Rams QB Matthew Stafford for an 8-yard loss, forcing a Rams punt.

The Commanders offense responded, taking over with 5:03 remaining and driving 65 yards in nine plays. The key play of the drive was Brissett and McLaurin hooking up on a 48-yard pass. With 1:46 remaining, Brissett found Curtis Samuel for a three-yard touchdown, but Joey Slye’s point-after touchdown was blocked, giving the Rams a 28-20 lead.

The Commanders did not execute and recovered Slye’s onside kick, and the Rams’ Kyren Williams then ran for 8, 4, and 6 yards, giving the Rams a first down and allowing them to go into victory formation and run out the clock.

After dominating the Commanders and shutting them out in the first half (13-0), the Rams extended their lead to 20-0 in the third quarter when Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp connected for a 62-yard touchdown pass. With 6:25 remaining in the third quarter, Washington QB Sam Howell found Curtis Samuel for a 19-yard score, putting Washington on the scoreboard at 20-7. The Rams answered when Stafford found Demarcus Robinson for a 23-yard touchdown, taking a 28-7 lead.

Commanders QB Jacoby Brissett came off the bench, completing 8 of 10 passes for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns for a 157.9 Passer Rating. Starter Sam Howell completed only 11 of his 26 attempts for 102 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. His passer rating was only 50.5. Terry McLaurin led the Commanders with 6 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. With the win, the Rams rose to 7-7, while the Commanders fell to 4-10 in what would be Head Coach Ron Rivera’s last season.