Jayden Daniels is hurt. We know that to be true.
His dislocated elbow will keep him out for a stretch still technically yet to be determined, as he seeks medical opinions on the best course of what happens next.
There’s some uncertainty there. We know, however, without a shadow of a doubt, that Marcus Mariota will start a now pivotal Week 3 home game against the Seattle Seahawks.
He’ll probably play a bit beyond that, but we’re only dealing with aboslutes right now.
We know No. 8 is Sunday’s starter.
His play will not be a revelation to Commanders fans. Mariota has been around this block.
He has been in Washington since the 2024 season and appeared in 15 games now. He started eight games last season and finished a few others, with a not-so-outstanding 2-6 record that wasn’t all on him.
So, in sum, y’all know him well. I generally don’t like to insert my personal voice in stories, but I will in this instance because I know Mariota a little bit.
I worked for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, when he was the starting quarterback there. I had a few one-on-ones with him, including a long one where we went deep about his career to that point and where his confidence lies.
Overall, great dude. Good locker-room leader. He’s a guy who can get you a series of wins while a starter recovers but isn’t a guy you want taking you through an entire season.
Mariota has speed. He has arm talent. He is not afraid of big moments. Maybe he chooses to run to soon. That’s a thing, but he sets up protection well and keeps a team out of bad spots.
If you’re expecting a film breakdown, this article won’t be that. We’ll leave that to Jamual Forrest and Mark Tyler. I’ll tell you what I know about the signal caller and the leader that will guide the Commanders through a difficult stretch.
Everybody else probably knows that already. Mariota’s in his 12th NFL season. He is what he is at this point, which is one of the best backups in the league.
He’s tailor-made for Washington in that his playing style is similar enough to Daniels that offensive coordinator David Blough doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. The same concepts apply to both guys, though JD5 obviously executes them better.
Mariota is a playmaker with some arm talent who isn’t afraid to let it fly or tuck it and run.
His stat line as a Commander isn’t half bad, with a 64% completion rate, 15 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 94.3 passer rating. Again, not half bad.
The Commanders can be a functional and winning football team with Mariota. As he said after the loss to Dallas, he can work with this scheme.
“With as much experience as I’ve had, I feel comfortable,” Mariota told on-site reporters. “We’ve got a great crew. Those guys didn’t blink at all, and I thought we did a good job of moving the ball in the second half. But yeah, I feel confident. I feel comfortable. I really like what Coach Blough is doing. I believe in this system and we’ll get this thing right.”
They need to stack some victories and do it now after starting 0-2 on the season and within the division.
We’ll see when Daniels can return. The Commanders must hold serve until he does. That’s on Mariota, someone we all know well and someone we know can be a functional quarterback and produce wins.
The Commanders need that. Desperately.
