Eric Edholm’s takeaways:
- Mariota passed his first test, and Washington’s run game did the rest. Making his first start in three years, Marcus Mariota did what was asked of him in the Commanders’ victory Sunday. Mariota lost a fumble on a read-option keeper, and a missed field goal kept the door open for the Raiders early on, but Washington controlled the ground game and put the game away in the third quarter. Mariota ran for 40 yards, opened the scoring with a touchdown run and threw a TD. One of Mariota’s scrambles before halftime gave Dan Quinn a bloody nose – and the coach seemed to love it. Jeremy McNichols ripped off a 60-yard TD run on his first touch. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jacory Croskey-Merritt gained some tough yards inside, and Deebo Samuel chipped in with three productive runs. No matter who was getting it, the Commanders were having success moving the ball. This was a good development to see following the injury to Jayden Daniels. If Mariota is needed next week against Atlanta, the Commanders have to feel better about their situation.
- Raiders must protect better for battered Smith. In three games, Geno Smith has now been sacked 12 times on 101 dropbacks. Five of those sacks, plus eight QB hits, came in Sunday’s loss. The soon-to-be 35-year-old can’t keep going at this pace, brave and resilient as he might be. The Raiders have multiple issues with their pass protection, but right tackle Delmar Glaze was once again victimized, struggling to handle quality pass rushers so far this season. After Ashton Jeanty missed some pass pro assignments this season, the Raiders turned to Dylan Laube, who also gave up a sack. When Smith had time, he made some good throws, but too often he was under heavy duress. The Raiders found themselves in long-yardage situations often on Sunday and once again couldn’t really get Jeanty and the ground game going. This offense had one first down in the first 20-plus minutes, and everything felt labored early. The season could turn sour fast if this isn’t fixed.
- Lane gives Commanders a boost. The Commanders appeared very excited to draft Jaylin Lane in Round 4 this spring, with general manager Adam Peters boasting about Lane’s big-play ability. On Sunday, when they needed an extra boost with the starting QB injured, the Commanders received that boost. Lane was exceptional on punt returns, running one back 90 yards for his first NFL touchdown. That gave Washington a 27-10 lead in the third quarter and all but put the game away. Earlier in the game, Lane had a 25-yard return called back because of a hold, but he was a positive force all game on special teams. He’s seen limited time on offense so far this season, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him given more chances to touch the ball, given what he’s done on special teams.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Raiders-Commanders (via NFL Pro): Jeremy McNichols hit a top speed of 20.03 mph on his 60-yard TD run, also picking up 57 rushing yards over expected on the play.
NFL Research: With 74 receiving yards Sunday, Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (6,528) passed Hall Of Famer Bobby Mitchell (6,492) for fifth in Washington franchise history.
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