The Los Angeles Rams are now 5-4 after taking down the Washington Commanders in Week 9. This is now their third consecutive win.

Initially, things looked a bit dire, as the Rams could not get anything going offensively. However, the team bends but does not break, taking home the victory.

Here are the instant takeaways from the Rams' 20-13 win in Week 9.

When the Rams traded for Myles Garrett, the belief was that he would make the defense evolve in a significant way. That did not happen after Week 1, as the defensive end had to undergo knee surgery to fix a nagging issue.

After being out for Weeks 2 to 8, Garrett came back with a force. He picked up three sacks and one forced fumble, making life tough for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

As stated above, Los Angeles could not get anything going offensively until well into the third quarter. After a pair of field goals in the first half, the Rams finally caught paydirt with a Blake Corum rushing touchdown.

Stafford ended up throwing an interception late in the third, which could have sunk the team. That was not the case, and the team rallied to score again through the efforts of the dynamic Puka Nacua. 

Nacua is unlike any other receiver in the NFL. It isn't his production that is impressive, but rather how he manages to extend plays with his big-bodied style of play.

Nacua leapt up into the air for a touchdown and got both of his feet down on the very edge of the end zone. This is a catch that most wide receivers cannot make while being well covered and still getting the ball in for a score.

The Rams were flirting with the idea of making Nacua the highest-paid receiver in the league, and he should be tracking to get that by the end of 2026.

The Commanders nearly had the Rams' number due to both starting cornerbacks being out. Trent McDuffie has a back injury and was marked inactive. 

Jaylen Watson was added to IR and is out for the season after it was revealed that he would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Josh Wallace took over, and Daniels took full advantage. The Commanders were able to get chunk yardage over the middle and led the way through the first half.

It wasn't until the second half where the Rams finally outlasted Washington.

Blake Corum carried the ball 11 times for 58 yards and a score.

Kyren Williams carried the ball 15 times for 45 yards.

Sean McVay remains committed to utilizing both, and it has worked to a degree. There is still some concern that the constant back-and-forth might lead to more confusion than results.

Still, the run game continues to be a shining spot for this offense. As the saying goes, "If it isn't broken, don't fix it."

The Rams' special teams may have put their kicking issues behind them as Brandon McManus has remained perfect over the past two games. 

McManus has gone 3-for-3 on kicks that have been under 40 yards. He may be tested a bit more in the near future, but he has solved one of the biggest issues the team had to start the season.

The Rams cannot go a week without a significant injury, and the latest was to left guard Steve Avila. Avila apparently aggravated the hamstring injury that plagued him before the Commanders matchup.

Avila exited the game and was labeled as questionable. He would eventually be ruled out, leading Beaux Limmer to step in and finish the game.

Nacua also had an injury scare as he entered the blue medical tent. He would eventually be checked out and return to action.