Commanders Daily: Washington’s Depleted Front Has More Than Kyren Williams to Handle Against the Rams

After missing the 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw were both placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Reportedly, it marks the end of the season for Payne, who is dealing with a Jones fracture in his foot; for Kinlaw, it's highly unfortunate they didn't determine his injury was that severe, as now he'll have to miss a minimum of four more games on top of the Eagles game after being placed on IR. It should be noted that without the starting two defensive tackles, the Commanders held the Eagles' depleted team to 91 rushing yards on 29 attempts, including 30 yards on 13 carries from Saquon Barkley, who has been dealing with back and hamstring issues, although he held no game designation against Washington.

In place of Payne and Kinlaw, Tim Settle Jr. played 42 snaps (61%), and Shy Tuttle played 32 (46%), along with Byron Cowart, who played 11 (16%) after being elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn acknowledged the front seven's work: "I knew the run game on the defensive side was gonna be an important one, so I liked what that looked like of guys setting edges," Quinn said.

Blake Corum Gives Rams a Second Rushing Threat

The Rams have a couple of backs that need some attention. Sunday, Blake Corum rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries, and Kyren Williams added 56 and a touchdown on 16 carries against the Chargers. Corum added 93 rushing yards the week before against the Raiders and has now scored a touchdown from scrimmage in four consecutive games.

one thing I loved is how mcvay stuck with the hot hand this entire drive, didn’t rotate in kyren at all and just let blake corum take over, whether it’s kyren, or blake… you need to ride the hot hand… pic.twitter.com/vMF4b0Zzwe
— Rams Tapes 🇵🇷 (@RamsTapes) November 2, 2026

Corum can dump yards in spurts. On Sunday, he gained 55 rushing yards on five carries in the opening possession of the second half against the Chargers, including the 23-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 17-9 lead. The Commanders' rotation will have to stay focused, as the Rams have multiple backs who need the front seven's full attention and aim to wear them down over four quarters. Corum understands what his coach needs out of him: "Our big thing here, Coach McVay always says, is stamina. And so I knew one of them was going to crack," Corum said Sunday.

With Payne done for the year, Kinlaw ineligible to return before December 6 at Tennessee, and Jer'Zhan (Johnny) Newton still in his 21-day practice window, Washington is thin up front. Cowart reverted to the practice squad Monday; his Eagles elevation doesn’t automatically make him available against the Rams. The key in this coming game, and in the weeks ahead, is the Commanders establishing a rotation that can effectively stop the run, without getting gassed in the process.

Kyren Williams's last 5 games:

74 Carries
334 Rushing Yards
5 Rushing Touchdowns

Season Pace:
238 Car | 1,164 Rush Yds | 13 Rush TD#RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/K607x2bNc4
— PaceBall (@paceball__) November 3, 2026

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