Commanders Turn to Marcus Mariota as Jayden Daniels Sidelined for Raiders Clash

The NFC East’s Washington Commanders will face the AFC West’s Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Commanders Turn to Marcus Mariota as Jayden Daniels Sidelined for Raiders Clash

Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota (Images via BR/Reuters)

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The Washington Commanders were handed a blow after their franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels, was sidelined for the week’s game. The second-year quarterback had missed practice on Friday due to an injured knee.

In Daniels’ absence, the Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn announced that they are planning to start Marcus Mariota, who re-signed with the franchise earlier this year on a one-year, $8 million contract. Entering his eleventh season in the league, Mariota has represented five different franchises, including the Commanders.

Mariota started his career in Nashville with the Tennessee Titans after a collegiate career that saw him become the first Oregon Ducks player and first Hawaiian to win the coveted Heisman Trophy.

However, his career trajectory in the NFL hasn’t been the best. He hasn’t started a single NFL game since 2022, when he was the starter in Atlanta. Last season, Mariota played in three games and threw 34-of-44 for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also carried 18 times for 92 yards and one touchdown.

The Washington Commanders will certainly miss Daniels. The LSU product has been the cornerstone of the Commanders’ success last year, making their first conference championship appearance in years. In last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers, Daniels took a lot of beating and was visibly injured in a scramble in the fourth quarter.

Although the Commanders’ Week 3 opponent, the Las Vegas Raiders, expected Daniels to return this week against them, he was reportedly nowhere near starting. Nonetheless, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the Commanders are confident about Mariota and hope to bounce back from the 1-1 start. He said on the Saturday morning edition of SportsCenter:

He’s one of the best 32 in the world, so that leaves them in a good spot. They feel like they can win with Mariota, at least for the week until they get Daniels back.

The Raiders could upset the Commanders in Marcus Mariota’s first start since 2022

The Washington Commanders and the Las Vegas Raiders take the Northwestern Field on Sunday at 1 pm EDT. The Commanders and the Raiders both have 1 win and 1 loss in the season so far. The Commanders started the season with a dominant win over the New York Giants before falling to the Green Bay Packers.

Geno Smith-2
Geno Smith (Image via AP)

The Raiders, on the other hand, fell to division rivals Los Angeles Chargers 20-9 in Week 2, a game that got national attention for other reasons. They had overcome the New England Patriots in their first game of the season. Both teams would be equally eager to pick up a win in the third week. That might be easier said than done. The Commanders’ offense and defense are ranked higher than the Raiders.

The Raiders are ranked 22nd in overall offense while ranking 19th in overall defense. The Commanders’ counterparts are 14th and 16th, respectively. However, the Commanders’ higher ranking in offense is mainly due to their rush offense, which may not be as strong without Daniels. Geno Smith, who is the starter for the Raiders, has a decent track record in the passing game, and that might bae the advantage that puts the Black and White in front.

The Raiders’ offense will be bolstered with the return of a much healthier Brock Bowens. Furthermore, the Commanders also had a few more setbacks in addition to their star quarterback. Running back Austin Ekeler and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. are both out for the season.

They will also be without CB Jonathan Jones, who’s on IR. If the Raiders can capitalize on the holes in the Commanders’ offense and defense, the Maroons might end up staring at an unwanted 1-2 record.

Also Read: Giants Rookie Jaxson Dart Turned to Eli Manning for New York Dining Reservation Before Season