The Washington Commanders improved to 2-1 for the third consecutive season with a 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Here are five takeaways from the matchup:
1. Marcus Mariota was in control.
The team expressed confidence that Mariota could handle himself as the starter, despite him missing most of training camp with tendonitis in his Achilles. That faith was not misplaced, as the veteran delivered another crisp performance in place of Jayden Daniels.
"I knew we'd support him like crazy; you just knew it," head coach Dan Quinn said after the game. "This teammate, what he is, I thought it looked very much quintessential Marcus."
Mariota looked comfortable throughout the afternoon, completing 15 of 21 pass attempts for 207 yards. Although the ground game was the star of the day for the Commanders (more on that later), he kept the offense out of difficult situations with intermediate passes to Deebo Samuel, Chris Moore and Zach Ertz. He also showed off his arm strength with a pass to Terry McLaurin that resulted in a 56-yard gain as well as a completion to Luke McCaffrey that went 43 yards for a touchdown.
Although the preferred plan is still for Daniels to be on the field as much as possible, Mariota has shown he can lead the Commanders' offense in a pinch. They are now 3-0 when Mariota plays most of the offensive snaps, and he has completed at least 71% of his passes in all three contests.
2. The pass rush smothered Geno Smith.
The Commanders' 400-yard offensive performance -- the 11th since Kliff Kingsbury became their offensive coordinator -- also came with a slow start and multiple mistakes. However, the defense was there to bail them out with an impressive pass rush up front.
The Raiders got down the field with ease on their first drive, as a 45-yard catch from Jakobi Meyers got them in field goal range. Things were much more difficult after that, thanks to how dominant the Commanders were up front. Smith faced consistent pressure all afternoon as the pocket collapsed around him. He managed to avoid the pressure at times but was still dropped five times -- the most in a single game for the Commanders since 2013.
Most of that success came from the two future Hall of Famers on the Commanders' roster. Bobby Wagner rushed up the middle for two sacks, while Von Miller added to his lead as the active leader in sacks with his first of the season.
The pressure led to long droughts for the Raiders' offense. They had one first down for the entire first quarter and punted on four consecutive drives in the second and third quarters.
3. The ground game plan was diverse.
The Commanders' ground game was back in a big way on Sunday with the team rushing for 201 yards on 31 carries, but it took a group effort as the team played its first game without Austin Ekeler.
Five players ended up getting at least one carry against the Raiders, who entered the game giving up the fourth-fewest yards on the ground. The Commanders set the tone on their first drive, moving into the end zone on five plays -- all runs. Chris Rodriguez Jr. picked up 39 yards on 11 carries, including a 14-yarder on his second carry. Jacory Croskey-Merritt was more involved earlier in the game and provided a change of pace with 26 yards on carries and a touchdown in the third quarter.
Some of the Commanders' most creative plays involved Samuel, who had 18 yards on three carries. The Commanders used a wildcat formation to get Samuel a direct snap for a nine-yard gain and had him take two other snaps in the backfield for gains of four and five yards. Then there was the 60-yard touchdown run by Jeremy McNichols, who powered through multiple would-be tacklers for the longest run of his career.
The Commanders might develop a more distinct hierarchy in the backfield at some point, but they seem content to use a committee approach for now. And who could blame them after they averaged 6.3 yards per rush and scored three rushing touchdowns?
4. The growing injury list.
The Commanders entered Sunday's game already dealing with injuries at several positions, the most notable being Daniels and his knee issue. They found a way to work around those obstacles, but it came at a cost.
The secondary was hit hardest by the injury bug. Safety Will Harris left with a leg injury and did not return. Marshon Lattimore went to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion, while rookie Trey Amos left the action with a calf injury. Neither player returned to the field, but there wasn't as much of a need with the game already in hand. Percy Butler left with a hip issue, although he was not ruled out. Jonathan Jones was placed on Injured Reserve earlier in the week, so the secondary is starting to look thin on depth.
On offense, McLaurin suffered a quad injury while diving for the end zone on his 56-yard reception. He seemed fine after the play, but the receiver did not return for the rest of the afternoon.
The hope is that the Commanders will get some of their key players like Daniels, Noah Brown and John Bates back after giving them a week of rest, but the team's overall health has become something to watch.
5. Special teams did their job.
Quinn has often referred to the special teams unit as the Commanders' "flagship," and it was clear why they earned that title on Sunday.
The Commanders' primary returners -- McCaffrey, Samuel and rookie Jaylin Lane -- accounted for a total of 245 yards on eight touches (for context, that was more than the Raiders had in total offensive yards until the fourth quarter). Samuel started the game off with a 69-yard kickoff return, which the offense used to score the opening touchdown five plays later, and had McCaffrey not slipped on his 25-yard return, they could have had another sizable gain later in the second half.
The biggest moment came from Lane, who fielded a punt at the 10-yard line and cut through the middle of the Raiders' coverage for a 90-yard touchdown. It was the first punt return touchdown for the franchise since 2016 and tied for the longest punt return in franchise history.
"All I told them [his blockers] was that I just need one lane and I'll make the rest happen, and that's what they did for me," Lane said.
It was the first time so far this season that the Commanders won in all three phases of the game, and if Sunday's game is any indication, they can be difficult to stop when playing that effectively.
