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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Washington Commanders celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The Washington Commanders came into Week 3 with star quarterback Jayden Daniels officially ruled out against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a knee injury, which shed doubt on whether the up-and-coming squad could get a second win on the season without their undisputed leader under center.
Veteran journeyman Marcus Mariota, who once played for the Raiders, was tasked with picking up the slack with Daniels on the mend.
Fortunately for Washington, Mariota played well on Sunday, leading the team to its second win of the season, bouncing back from Week 2’s disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Marcus Mariota Steps Up for Injured Jayden Daniels
Mariota got the job done against his former team with his arm and his legs, as he completed 15 of his 21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown to Luke McCaffrey, brother of San Francisco 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey. He also racked up 40 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries.
After securing the win against the Raiders, Mariota spoke to the media and talked about starting his first game in three years.
“I just have fun, man,” Mariota said of starting Week 3. “I really just had to take a couple of moments, even after the game. I’m just grateful to play the game. I love it! I love this team. 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.
“I think I’m here for a reason. I believe in it. God placed me here to be a part of this. Whether that’s going to be something that’s long-term or something that just keeps going, I have no idea, but right now I’m just focused on enjoying this in the present moment and whatever my role is for this team because I think we have a special group of guys.”
Mariota definitely seems to have the right mindset for this stage of his NFL career, which should make the Commanders brass and his teammates happy moving forward. Washington may be able to count on their backup for a little while longer if needed.
Commanders Embark on Crucial Five-Game Stretch
GettyMarcus Mariota #8, Chris Moore #19 and Chris Rodriguez Jr. #36 of the Washington Commanders celebrate after a rushing touchdown during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Landover, Maryland.
With the Commanders winning two of their first three games, the team will have a tough stretch of games ahead, as they’ll play four of the next five games on the road. They take on the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears (home game), Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs during that stretch.
The real question moving forward with this challenging string of games on the road is what Daniels’ playing status is moving forward. Obviously, Mariota showed that he’s capable of shouldering the load under center. Still, the competition does ramp up, with the Chargers and Chiefs more than likely being the toughest teams during this five-game slate.
Mariota seems to be up for the challenge, but the Commanders will hope that Daniels bounces back from his knee injury sooner rather than later to be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Ryan Ward is a longtime credentialed writer covering the NBA and NFL. He has over 15 years of experience in the sports industry from writing, editing, social media management and podcasting. He has covered the Lakers and Raiders for Medium Large Sports, with a previous stint at ClutchPoints. Ward is a Los Angeles native from the United Kingdom, who now resides in Colorado.
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