Terry McLaurin's first touchdown of the season looked like a classic moment from the veteran wide receiver.

With the Washington Commanders lined up at the Seattle Seahawks' 30-yard line, Marcus Mariota shuffled to his left and fired a shot to McLaurin near the front of the end zone. McLaurin turned at the last moment, plucked the ball from the air and secured it as he fell to give his team a two-score lead. In the moment, it looked like the play unfolded exactly as the Commanders drew it up.

But that isn't quite true. The Commanders got the result they wanted, but everything leading up to it was a little different from what they had planned out.

"It kind of changed on the fly," Mariota said after the game.

McLaurin, Washington's top target in the passing game, had been quiet for most of the Commanders' first two games. That wasn't all McLaurin's fault, although the offense was, and still is, going through an adjustment period with David Blough's system. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys utilized cloud coverage against McLaurin, meaning the cornerback operates closer to the line of scrimmage while a safety covers the deeper part of the field. It's not a new challenge for the Commanders when it comes to McLaurin, but it was effective in limiting his targets.

So, the Commanders have been looking for different routes to beat that coverage and get McLaurin more opportunities at the ball. Their solution was a pinch route -- "kind of like a 12-yard curl," McLaurin said -- and that was what McLaurin was supposed to run on the play.

But McLaurin, known for creating separation at the line of scrimmage, ended up beating cornerback Josh Jobe so cleanly that it made more sense for him to run a go route. McLaurin trusted that Mariota would recognize the change, and sure enough, the quarterback put the ball in a spot where only McLaurin could make the catch.

"We don't try to make a habit of going off key, but at the end of the day, we speak about being ball players out there," McLaurin said. "When you get a clean release like that, and you have a chance to make a big play, you want to capitalize, and we did that."

Plays like that are why McLaurin likes working with Mariota. Although Mariota is the backup, the two have developed a solid rapport over the last two seasons. Their communication, both on the sideline and the field, gives them the ability to adjust on the fly. McLaurin trusts Mariota to give him a chance, which normally works out for the quarterback.

It seems the feeling is mutual.

"He made an unbelievable play," Mariota said. "Me, if it's one-on-one, I'm gonna take my shot with Terry every time, and he made an unbelievable catch."

Mariota's touchdown pass to McLaurin was recorded in the box score like any other stat, but the details of the play carry more significance than that. They show why Mariota's teammates have faith in him and his ability to lead the offense as Jayden Daniels recovers from his dislocated elbow. The timetable for that process is not public knowledge, but the Commanders know Mariota can handle himself for however long it takes.

"As long as Marcus is back there, we have trust in him, just like we have trust in Jayden," McLaurin said.