LANDOVER, Md. — Jayden Daniels‘ importance to the Washington Commanders has never been in question. His dynamic ability powered the offense a year ago and remains a central reason for high expectations this season.
But this also isn’t in question: The offense can work well without him. Three teams have already discovered that since the start of last season, with the Las Vegas Raiders being the latest. Washington is 3-0 in those games, and Sunday provided a look as to how it can get it done minus Daniels, using an all-around effort to produce a lopsided win.
It helps that the team has plenty of confidence in his backup, veteran Marcus Mariota.
With Daniels sidelined by a knee injury for Washington’s 41-24 win Sunday, the Commanders gained 400 yards and scored 34 points on offense — with another seven coming on a punt return.
It’s possible the Commanders (2-1) will have to play another game without Daniels when they visit Atlanta (1-2) on Sunday. Daniels’ status remains uncertain.
But they know that they can produce, even when they’re missing one of the game’s most explosive quarterbacks. It took an entire village.
“It speaks to the entire team,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said.
Washington has succeeded in these games for a variety of reasons, though as Quinn said, much of it is because the Commanders have played a full team game. That has been the case in the three games in which Daniels either exited early or was ruled out before the game.
A lot of it begins with Mariota. Last week, multiple players expressed confidence in Mariota with one pointing to his quick decision-making and ability to play well in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
“Shoutout to Marcus,” running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt said after the game. “Everybody knows he’s the pro. And how he carries himself, he’s been doing this a long time. We just had 100% faith in him.”
Mariota’s eyes often light up when he talks about playing in this offense.
“I love this system,” Mariota said.
It encompasses what Mariota does well: the quick game, run-pass options as well as his ability to run. But he also likes the communication with Kingsbury and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard.
“It’s a healthy environment,” Mariota said.
The Commanders have now played nine quarters with Mariota at quarterback. In addition to Sunday’s game, he played three quarters in a Week 7 win over Carolina and two quarters in a Week 18 win over Dallas last season. In that time, Mariota has completed 48 of 62 passes for 573 yards and five touchdowns — including one game winner on the final play from scrimmage vs. Dallas — and no interceptions. He has also run the ball 22 times for 130 yards.
“It looked very much quintessential Marcus,” Quinn said. “Aggressive run, pass stuff to go scrambling, being aggressive. He felt very much in control of it. I knew he would stay consistent, and man, he’s just so steady. I was super proud of him.”
Mariota, the second pick in the 2015 draft and former Heisman winner, had a number of friends and family in the stands, many of whom flew in from Hawaii after learning Friday that he would make his first start since Week 13 of the 2022 season with Atlanta.
“I just had fun,” he said. “I just had to take a couple moments, even after the game. [I’m] just grateful to play the game. I love being out there. It’s been such an interesting journey for me, and I would never trade it for anything in the world.”
But it goes beyond Mariota. Washington’s three running backs — Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols — combined for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Deebo Samuel also contributed on the ground with three carries for 18 yards, including one off a direct snap for 9 yards.
“We got some boys in the backfield,” Rodriguez said. “We can all do everything.”
This from an offense also missing its top blocking tight end in John Bates and No. 3 receiver Noah Brown, both out with groin injuries. Kingsbury compensated for Brown by using backup offensive tackle Trent Scott as a second or third tight end on 19 snaps.
Kingsbury called for play-action passes on one-third of Mariota’s throws to lessen the burden on backs such as Rodriguez or Croskey-Merritt in pass protection. And after the Commanders’ backs started to produce, Kingsbury called for multiple zone-read runs by Mariota; two of them gained a combined 36 yards as the Raiders eyed the running backs.
Meanwhile, the defense held the Raiders to 10 points and 178 yards through three quarters as Washington led 34-10. The Raiders scored two touchdowns and gained 176 yards in the fourth quarter, once the game was out of reach. Last season, they allowed 26 combined points in the two games Daniels was sidelined.
Washington started Sunday’s game minus defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., who is out for the season with a quad injury. It ended the game minus multiple starters: safety Will Harris (leg), corners Trey Amos (calf) and Marshon Lattimore (evaluated for a concussion, but he returned to the sidelines and rode the stationary bike).
Regardless of whether they’re missing Daniels, the defense has the same job.
“We try to have guys think the mindset of even though you’re not a starter, your moment could come in at any given point,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “And so, when you have a game like this, you feel that the guys are listening because you know that you have to step in and you have to perform as well as the starter.”
Special teams provided help, too. First it was Samuel with a 69-yard return on the opening kickoff to set up a 27-yard touchdown drive. Then it was rookie Jaylin Lane, who returned a third-quarter punt 90 yards for a 27-10 lead.
“It creates momentum,” Mariota said. “When you’re able to ride that momentum, especially into that first touchdown drive, it’s huge. Our young receiver made an unbelievable play on that punt return, really at a point in the game where it could’ve flipped either way. He created that momentum for us. That’s how we were able to get things rolling and score a bunch of points. When you’re able to play a complete game like that in all three phases, it makes this team hard to stop.”
No matter who’s at quarterback.
