Monday Morning Rambling: Rams Finally Get the Myles Garrett They've Been Waiting For

Sitting in the press box at the Melbourne Cricket Ground back in September, it was almost depressing watching the Los Angeles Rams trot a limited version of Myles Garrett onto the field. Garrett was very clearly not 100 percent in that game and voiced that afterwards. After not recording a single pressure, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and NFL sack leader walked into the media room and said, “This was the worst version of myself.”

Days later, the Rams placed Garrett on injured reserve, where he remained until Sunday.

The Rams traded away Jared Verse for Garrett in what was their biggest move of the offseason. In a similar thought process to when they traded Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford, the Rams hoped that trading for Garrett would match their current timeline better than Verse. Essentially, they could accelerate that development process.

Garrett was supposed to be the missing piece of the defense and the player who helped them close out games in the fourth quarter. What if the Rams had Garrett available in their losses to the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals? Those were two games the Rams led late in the fourth quarter and the defense was unable to get a stop.

Instead, Garrett watched from the sideline in those games as he managed a knee injury that he’d dealt with since training camp. There was a lot of angst heading into Garrett’s return. Some weren’t even sure if he’d be back before the bye week. Garrett was originally given a six-week timeline before eventually missing seven games. Would he be the same dominant player the Rams had traded for in June?

The answer to that question was yes.

On Sunday, Garrett finished with three sacks, two of which were in the fourth quarter. His first came with him chasing Jayden Daniels from the backside before halftime, forcing a fumble and creating a turnover. That was one play after Puka Nacua and the offense had fumbled and the Commanders were looking to take control of the game.

Garrett’s second sack came on a 2nd-and-9 on Washington’s first drive of the fourth quarter to set up a 3rd-and-14. While the Commanders ended up converting, Garrett’s final sack may have been his most impactful and showed why the Rams traded for him. The Commanders faced 3rd-and-5 from the Rams’ 38-yard line after Garrett jumped offside. He immediately made up for it.

On the very next play, Daniels dropped back and Garrett cleanly beat the center to burst through the middle of the offensive line. Garrett wrapped up Daniels and sacked him to set up a 4th-and-17. When Emmanuel Forbes broke up the pass from Daniels to force a turnover on downs, the game was basically over in large part due to Garrett’s sack that resulted in a 12-yard loss.

Back in September, Garrett called that the worst version of himself. If Sunday was just a glimpse of what he can provide, it’s hard not to be excited for what’s to come. On Sunday, Garrett showed exactly why the Rams made the investment they did. It was only one game, but if this is the version that the Rams are getting for the second half of the season, the outlook for this team changes significantly.

3 Things I Can’t Stop Thinking About

1. Rams Can't Afford to Ignore Wide Receiver Need

It should be considered malpractice if the Rams don’t trade for a wide receiver this week. Puka Nacua has 41 targets in the last three weeks. Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, and Jordan Whittington have combined for 16 targets in that same span. Nacua had 19 targets against the Commanders alone and finished with 150 receiving yards. The next closest Rams wide receiver had 20. It’s just not sustainable.

2. A Much-Needed Step Forward on Special Teams

Without trying to jinx anything, the Rams’ special teams unit played well yesterday. Josh Karty had three kickoffs bounce through the end zone to set up the Commanders at the 20-yard line. It seems crazy to keep two kickers, but it has worked. Ethan Evans averaged 52.8 yards per punt and had two land inside the 20. Jordan Whittington had a nice return as well. The bar is very low, but that was a promising performance.

3. Jimmy Lake Deserves Credit for Secondary's Performance

The Rams were without their two starting cornerbacks on Sunday, yet they held Jayden Daniels to -0.19 EPA per pass, which ranked 19th for the week.. Emmanuel Forbes finished with two crucial pass breakups and had a tackle for loss. Josh Wallace remained solid as well. Defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake deserves a lot of credit for how well he’s coached up the cornerback depth.

Game Ball: EDGE Myles Garrett

How do you not give the game ball to Myles Garrett in this one? Garrett had three sacks and a forced fumble. He was dominant in his return to the field in limited snaps. The Rams and Garrett had been waiting for that type of game, and with a lot of patience, they finally got it.

Stat of the Day: 3-for-3

While the Rams may have been an abysmal 3-for-14 on third down, they were 3-for-3 on fourth down. The Rams converted a 4th-and-1 on their opening drive to set up a shorter field goal. They went for it again on 4th-and-3 during their final drive of the first half, which eventually resulted in another field goal. Those are six points the Rams added by going for it, and those points proved to matter in what was a seven-point win.

Looking Ahead

Since losing to the Cardinals, the Rams have gone on to win three straight. They’ll play the Cardinals again on Sunday and hope to take a four-game winning streak into the bye. Sunday could prove to be difficult if the Rams are without Puka Nacua after he got injured late against the Commanders. The Rams are still searching for their first division win of the year, and the Cardinals will be a good opportunity to get that.

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