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Rams' defensive duo fuels optimism ahead of Week 10 showdown | Game Preview

Nov 13, 2026 at 11:30 AM

Voice of the L.A. Rams

The first glimpse was everything the Rams could have hoped to see when the plan came to fruition.

Two first-ballot Hall of Famers, five NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors between them, side-by-side, wrecking the day for the Commanders in D.C.

That was why one waived his no-trade clause to continue his career in Los Angeles. And that was why the other came out of retirement to chase greatness one more time.

"It's a different type of comfortability when you have another type of guy out there that can make plays at any time," Donald said this week.

Their triumph was muted by the loss of Puka Nacua to injured reserve, certainly. But the impact of Garrett and Donald is ample reason to believe the Rams can still achieve until their All-Pro receiver, and hopefully a host of other key contributors, can get back to the field.

The bye awaits. But revenge against the Cardinals cannot.

Get Back, Stay On Track

The Rams go to Arizona this week, to face the franchise most responsible for their current predicament. Had they not lost at home to an opponent that couldn't score a touchdown, most if not all of the current consternation could have been avoided.

The difference between 6-3 and 5-4 cannot be overstated, especially when you consider the tiebreaker impacts of that blemish on LA's division and conference record.

But Week 6 is in the rearview. Where do the Rams go from here, and how do they get there?

We did some soul-searching with D'Marco Farr and Maurice Jones-Drew on a new edition of Between the Horns.

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Go C.J.

As for who the Rams are going to throw to this week, Stu Jackson has a profile of the only receiver the franchise added this offseason (that is, before a late summer trade to bring Tutu Atwell back from Miami).

In his piece, there are optimistic hints from Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford that the rookie sixth-round draft pick will be ready for his moment.

"He's had a lot of great moments behind the scenes. I think we've been really encouraged about his development and his progression as the year has gone on," offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase added on Thursday. "I'm fired up for him and him stepping up into this role."

I'll just tack on that he'll be taking the field at State Farm Stadium across the field from? His quarterback last year with the Miami Hurricanes, Carson Beck, set to make his first NFL start.

And where did those two happen to get their last victory together? Glendale, Arizona in the CFP Semifinal.

Notable & Quotable

"One of the calling cards for our group…is we play with passion and energy. I think we would all agree that it wasn't quite up to our standards," Sean McVay said this week, reflecting on his team's home loss to the Cardinals. "That's a big deal. You have to show up, be ready to go."

I can almost guarantee they will be come Sunday afternoon. Sounds like QB1 is sure of it, even with some new targets stepping into larger roles.

"I still throw those guys every single day in practice and have a ton of trust in what they can do. Just like me, we have to go out there and just trust our fundamentals. Whatever it is, my job on that play is to go, 1A, 1B, and move on through my progression. I'm going to do that," Stafford said this week, having completed a franchise record 230 passes through nine games. "It's going out there, trusting your teammates, cutting it loose. We know what these plays are supposed to look like when executed properly. Let's go do it. I have a good feeling [about] Sunday."

Not like the Rams will get any sympathy from the Cardinals when it comes to being short-handed at receiver.

Carson Beck is going to debut against Myles Garrett + Aaron Donald on Sunday.

His starting wide receivers will be Simi Fehoko, Reggie Virgil and Devin Duvernay.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) November 9, 2026

On the topic of injuries, I don't feel like we've acknowledged in this space how solid Jaylen Watson's first (half of a) season was in LA. His presence is sorely missed on game days; glad his surgery went well.

Rams Nation surgery was a success literally tried every single possible was to finish this season unfortunately that wasn’t in my best interest. I thank you for all the well wishes and endless support through these tough times. Now it’s road to recovery #Ramshouse
— Wat’s Island🏝 (@JaylenWatson12) November 12, 2026

In his absence, it sure was nice to see Emmanuel Forbes Jr. put together his most impactful day as a Ram, which was documented by our Studios Team in this week's Mic'd Up.

"I thought he was awesome in the run game, physical, tackling. He made that play on the screen after the sudden change," Chris Shula said. "Those guys [Forbes and Josh Wallace] have been ascending all season long."

The Rams have been handling lesser competition lately, and this Sunday presents another opportunity to knock down a losing team. But even with the Cardinals (3-6) in Week 10, LA has by far the toughest remaining gauntlet in the NFL.

So the Rams future schedule... is... sheesh pic.twitter.com/XpSkHTWoHj
— PFF (@PFF) November 10, 2026

Watching the West… And The Rest

The Rams are a game out of the NFC playoff picture in the loss column, tied with Seattle at 5-4. Both those head-to-heads are reserved for the final three weeks of the season.

Green Bay currently holds the last projected wild card spot at 6-3. We're also watching the rest of the NFC North, because that whole division is hogging playoff positioning, for now.

The Lions (6-2) welcome the Patriots on Sunday, with New England looking to bounce back after getting shredded in Foxborough last weekend by Green Bay.

Before coming to SoFi Stadium on Thanksgiving Eve, those Packers host the Vikings (6-2). Minnesota traded for Kirk Cousins on Tuesday, after Carson Wentz floundered through a home loss on Monday Night Football.

That means the Seahawks (5-4) will be the first to see Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas, as the top overall pick in this draft class makes his first start for the Raiders. And finally, the division-leading 49ers (7-1) travel to face a desperate Dallas team that is somehow just 1-3 at home in Arlington, TX.

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Quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during practice on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, at the Los Angeles Rams Practice Facility in Woodland Hills, CA. (Abigail Dean /Los Angeles Rams)