The Washington Commanders will now look to build on its primetime win when they face the Los Angeles Rams for a 1 PM kickoff on Sunday, Nov. 8. What are the key matchups to watch? Breaking down three keys for the Commanders to pick up consecutive wins.

Jayden Daniels is playing really well over the last two weeks, ranking top ten in multiple categories and leading the league with zero turnovers. Through five games, he has thrown for 976 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions on a 62.8% completion rate — and he has added 236 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Daniels was 16-of-29 for 217 yards in the Sunday night win over Philadelphia, and he followed a 199 passing yard, 103 rushing yard, two score performance from week five with that gritty showing.

Now he faces a Los Angeles Rams defense that will test whether the momentum is real. The Rams have shown they can pressure the quarterback and take away one side of the field, so Daniels' ability to extend plays, work through progressions, and hit the deep ball will all be on display. 

The receiver group around him has quietly become one of the more versatile units in the NFC. Treylon Burks had his best game in burgundy and gold in Week 8 — three catches, 81 yards, and a 53-yard deep shot that broke the game open. Stefon Diggs has piled up 27 catches, 252 yards, and a team-leading five receiving touchdowns. Rookie Antonio Williams led the team with seven targets in the Eagles win, drawing out of the slot with 83% reception rate. With Terry McLaurin gone for the season, this trio will need to operate as a committee against a stout Rams secondary — and so far, there's reason to believe they can.

The Commanders' defensive interior line just took a devastating double hit. Javon Kinlaw underwent season-ending MCL surgery after sustaining the injury in the Week 6 loss at San Francisco. Daron Payne, Washington's nine-year anchor at defensive tackle, suffered a bone fracture in his foot during practice last week — also season-ending. Both were placed on injured reserve Tuesday, leaving Washington dangerously thin up the middle.

The timing could not be worse. Kyren Williams has been one of the most productive backs in the NFL this season, rushing for 548 yards (68.5 per game) on 112 attempts, scoring six touchdowns, and averaging 4.89 yards per carry. His PFF rushing grade of 82.2 ranks sixth among all running backs, and he has forced 23 missed tackles while averaging 3.4 yards after contact. He is not a one-trick pony — Williams also carries 30 catches for 217 receiving yards as a check-down and seam option in Sean McVay's offense.

Washington might be getting back second-year DT Jer'Zhan Newton, who has been designated to return from injured reserve after missing time with a torn pectoral muscle, alongside recent signee Ricky Barber, who flashed in limited work and brings upside as a rotational piece. Tim Settle Jr & Shy Tuttle have been impressive and didn’t miss a beat with the starters out last week. Dan Quinn acknowledged the challenge plainly this week, noting that Washington will need its blitz package to compensate for the loss of interior push. If the Commanders can't generate penetration up front, Williams will have all the daylight he needs.

Davante Adams is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury — which means the full burden of the Los Angeles passing attack rests on Puka Nacua. He is more than capable of carrying it. Nacua holds a 90.0 PFF overall grade this season (sixth among all wide receivers), with an 87.8 receiving grade that ranks eighth. He has racked up 45 receptions on 62 targets for 485 yards and two touchdowns, and he was near-perfect against the Chargers in Week 8: 11 catches on 12 targets for 80 yards and a score.

Nacua was dealing with a calf issue but played through it last week, and he is expected to suit up Sunday. The Commanders will counter with Trey Amos and Amik Robertson — a young cornerback duo that turned in its best combined performance of the season in the Eagles win. Washington's secondary has found its footing in recent weeks, and if Amos and Robertson can hold Nacua to contested catches underneath while forcing Matthew Stafford to look elsewhere, the Commanders' pass rush will have time to work.

With Adams off the field, Washington's corners don't have to split their attention. Containing Nacua is the assignment, and doing so could be the difference in a game that figures to come down to a handful of plays in the fourth quarter. Cooper Kupp is a sneaky veteran in the slot that may give the Commanders fits, especially on 3rd down.

Washington comes in at 2-4-1 riding genuine momentum — back-to-back strong outings from Daniels, an ascending receiver room, and a defense that just pitched its best secondary performance of the year. The Rams, meanwhile, feature one of the most dangerous back-and-receiver combinations in the NFC in Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua. With the D-line now operating shorthanded, the burden on Washington's linebackers, safeties, and corners is enormous. How the defensive line performs will shape this game. If Daniels keeps executing and the secondary can bottle up Nacua, the Commanders have a real shot. If Williams runs wild and Nacua gets clean, it's going to be a long Sunday.