The Atlanta Falcons stunned the NFL with their 35-14 blowout over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, but former Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota led his team to an even bigger upset on Sunday afternoon.
Mariota passed for three touchdowns and a 110.0 passer rating in the Washington Commanders' 33-31 victory over the reigning Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. Filling in for an injured Jayden Daniels, Mariota played his best football down the stretch against the NFL's best defense.
The former No. 2 overall pick made some big-time plays, including a clutch scramble for a first down to help ice the game in the fourth quarter. Mariota may be filling in for the foreseeable future due to Daniels' uncertain status.
In other former Falcons quarterback
news, Kirk Cousins has the Las Vegas Raiders off to a 2-0 start, while tying for the league lead with six touchdown passes. Cousins' can do Atlanta a favor by leading the Raiders to a win over the New Orleans Saints this afternoon.
Fortunately for the Falcons, they were able to stop the bleeding against the Packers on Thursday night to secure their first win of the season. Michael Penix Jr. made his triumphant return and provided the spark the team was hoping for on offense.
Atlanta put up nearly 500 total yards against Green Bay, including 256 passing yards and one touchdown pass from Penix in his return. We'll see how the Falcons fare in Week 4 when they face the New Orleans Saints on the road on Monday Night Football.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Former Falcons QB leads upset over reigning Super Bowl champs
