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Rams Film Review: Myles Garrett Could Exploit Major Weakness Against Cardinals

The Rams found creative ways to unleash Myles Garrett against Washington. Here's why that could spell trouble for the Arizona Cardinals.
Blaine Grisak|
Nov 8, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (95) looks on during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (95) looks on during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams finally got a glimpse of what a healthy Myles Garrett looks like on their defense against the Washington Commanders. After being out for almost two months with a knee injury, Garrett made his return last week and showed the Rams why they traded for him. 

Despite playing only 60 percent of the defensive snaps, Garrett made his impact felt. He played 28 pass rush snaps and finished with three sacks, including one forced fumble. The explosiveness and bend that Garrett lacked in Week 1 were on display against the Commanders.

In his first game back, Garrett had a 21.4 percent pressure rate and generated six pressures. His 28.6 percent pass rush win rate led all edge rushers for the week as well.  The Rams traded for Garrett to be their closer on defense and two of his three sacks came in the fourth quarter. His third sack was on a 3rd-and-4 to set up a 4th-and-17 and helped stop a late surge by the Commanders offense. 

How Myles Garrett Is Unlocking Aaron Donald

One of the main reasons Aaron Donald came out of retirement was to play alongside Garrett. It took two months, but the wait was worth it. It’s no coincidence that Donald’s best game of the season came with Garrett on the field. 

For much of his career, offenses had to focus all of their attention on Donald. That’s not something they could do with Garrett on the edge. Donald finished Sunday’s game with a season-high four pressures and a 12.9 percent pressure rate.

“Myles obviously did a great job, but I thought ‘AD’ had a couple awesome things that allowed him to be able to get some one-on-ones and get freed up and thought the plan that we had was really beneficial,” said head coach Sean McVay. “Yesterday was the first day that it was on tape of how you're deploying Myles. It may or may not be the same or different as you continue to increase his snap count as he's feeling better and getting back to being able to play that workload that he's been accustomed to throughout his whole career, but it was very impactful as was ‘AD’.”

How the Rams Are Using Myles Garrett to Create Mismatches

Using Garrett solely in pass rush situations gave the Rams more flexibility in how they deployed him. Throughout the game, Chris Shula occasionally mugged Garrett over the center. This is something that the Rams did with Verse occasionally, but Garrett also had success doing it in Cleveland. 

Garrett lined up over the center on four plays against the Commanders. On those plays, he had two pressures, created a pressure for Donald on a stunt, and had one sack. Garrett’s size and speed make it very difficult for the average center to block one-on-one.

Why Myles Garrett Could Be a Nightmare for the Cardinals

This is likely something that the Rams will try to take advantage of this week against the Cardinals as well. Hjalte Froholdt and Jon Gaines have been out of practice for the Cardinals with injuries. That would leave Hayden Conner as the third-string center, who is also technically the fourth-string guard. 

With the Rams down their starting two wide receivers, they may have to rely on their defense more. While the defense had been good for much of the season, Garrett helped take it to the next level that many have been waiting to see. The presence of Garrett could be enough to help carry the Rams over the next month until they get healthy on offense again. 

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Blaine Grisak
BLAINE GRISAK

Blaine Grisak is the Lead Publisher for Rams on SI covering the Los Angeles Rams. Prior to joining On Sports Illustrated, he covered the Rams for TurfShow Times. He's been credentialed for events such as the NFL in Australia, NFL Draft, NFL Combine, and Senior Bowl. A graduate of Northeastern University, Blaine grew up in Montana.

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