Stafford, Rams aim to get back on track as they host Howell, Commanders

WASHINGTON (4-9) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (6-7)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, CBS

BETTING LINE: Rams by 6 1/2 according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Commanders 5-7-1; Rams 7-5-1.

SERIES RECORD: Commanders lead 26-14-1.

LAST MEETING: Rams beat Commanders 30-10 on Oct. 11, 2020, in Landover, Maryland.

LAST WEEK: Commanders had bye, lost to Dolphins 45-15 on Dec. 3; Rams lost to Ravens 37-31 in OT.

COMMANDERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (23), PASS (11), SCORING (23).

COMMANDERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (18), PASS (32), SCORING (32).

RAMS OFFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (12), PASS (12), SCORING (10).

RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (17), PASS (20), SCORING (20).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Commanders minus-10; Rams minus-1.

COMMANDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Antonio Gibson is in line for more carries after Brian Robinson Jr. was ruled out Friday because of a hamstring injury. Gibson had four 100-yard performances in his first three seasons, but hasn’t topped 35 yards in a game this season. He has been effective catching passes out of the backfield, something the Rams have struggled to defend at times.

RAMS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Matthew Stafford has been on a roll over his past three games, throwing 10 touchdowns against one interception. After he threw three touchdowns without a pick for the second straight week against Baltimore, Stafford should feast on a Commanders secondary which has allowed 30 touchdowns to six interceptions.

KEY MATCHUP: Commanders offensive line vs. Rams DL Aaron Donald. Sam Howell has been sacked 58 times this season, and now Washington has to protect him from the most dominant interior pass rusher in football. Donald will be especially fired up to get going after getting a half-sack over the past four games. While the game plan will likely include plenty of quick throws to protect Howell, the front five must step up in key moments on third down or in the red zone for the Commanders to have a chance to win.

KEY INJURIES: Commanders first-round draft pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr. returns to the lineup at cornerback after missing two weeks with an elbow injury. For a team that hasn’t created a turnover in more than a month, Forbes could be an asset. ... Commanders OLB Jamin Davis was put on injured reserve this week with a shoulder injury; David Mayo is likely to receive those snaps. ... Rams RT Rob Havenstein (groin) could be held out with a short week on deck as they host New Orleans next Thursday. … LS Alex Ward was placed on injured reserve because of a stinger, with veteran Carson Tinker brought in to replace him. … TE Tyler Higbee (neck) is on track to play after sitting out last week.

SERIES NOTES: The Rams cruised to a comfortable 30-10 win at the Commanders to snap a two-game losing streak in the series. … This is Washington’s second game against the Rams in Los Angeles since they moved back in 2016. The Commanders won 27-20 at the LA Memorial Coliseum in 2017.

STATS AND STUFF: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin can move into a tie for 10th all time in Washington franchise history in touchdowns this week by snagging his 24th touchdown reception. ... Since entering the league, McLaurin has 50 receptions of 25 yards or more, which ranks 10th in the league during that span. ... Even as the Commanders have faltered, Howell has piled up the numbers. He’s ninth-all time in passing yards during a player’s first 14 NFL games (Howell has 3,635, Patrick Mahomes leads the way with 4,584). ... Under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, the Commanders have mostly thrown the ball all the way to the end of games, even ones out of reach. Howell has more fourth-quarter passing yards (984) than any other NFL QB this season. … Rams RB Kyren Williams has 345 yards rushing and three total touchdowns in three games since returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for four weeks. … Donald had four sacks in his previous game against the Commanders, tying his career high. He also had four sacks against San Francisco on Oct. 21, 2018. … Los Angeles is trying to win three straight regular-season home games for the first time since the start of the 2021 season. … OLB Byron Young got his sixth sack of the season against the Ravens, which is tied for second most for a Rams rookie with Kevin Carter in 1995. Donald holds the record with nine sacks in 2014. … The Rams have scored 30 points in three straight games, their longest streak since the first five games of the 2018 season. … WR Cooper Kupp got back on track with 115 yards receiving against the Ravens. He had totaled 116 yards over the previous four games.

FANTASY TIP: The Rams have been solid in limiting opponents on home turf and now get to unleash Donald and the young, hungry linemen around him on Howell. This is a D/ST unit to highlight in daily fantasy or to grab off the waiver wire for a spot start.

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