Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota had added motivation facing the Las Vegas Raiders that led to the 41-24 victory on September 21 at Northwest Stadium.
Mariota played for the Raiders from 2021 to 2022, and with former teammates of his on the other side, the Commanders’ backup, who was under center due to the injury to Jayden Daniels that ruled him out of the game, wanted to get the win.
The veteran completed 15 of 21 passes for 201 passing yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Mariota also used his legs to cause the Raiders’ defense damage as he recorded 40 rushing yards and one touchdown.
After the win, Mariota admitted that beating the Raiders was an emotional moment for him.
“This means a lot to me, so it was awesome,” Mariota told FOX Sports after Washington’s win over Las Vegas. “It was such a good group of guys who were dedicated to doing their best and executing, and it was fun to be a part of…
“I was a part of a great franchise with the Raiders, and to see some of these guys and to play against them, it was a lot of fun for me. I’m just a part of such a great culture, and I’ll never take that for granted. I’m truly blessed and truly appreciative of it.”
Mariota and Co. Made Life Challenging for Raiders’ Defense
Despite the Raiders’ issues on offense, the defense was a bright spot, keeping them in games against the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers. However, against the Commanders, the unit laid an egg.
The Las Vegas defense struggled at key moments, allowing points in every quarter. The home team’s 13 points in the second and 14 in the third were especially costly, turning the game into a lopsided affair.
Moreover, the Commanders leaned on their running game as a team ran for 201 rushing yards and three players recorded a touchdown on the ground. It was a performance to forget for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and his unit.
Raiders Still Have Running Game Issues
Speaking of the run game, it remains an issue for the Raiders. Three weeks into the NFL season, the Raiders’ running game has been inconsistent, but they showed some promise against the Commanders, rushing for 93 yards—a small step in the right direction.
Veteran quarterback Geno Smith emphasized that the team needs to find a way to get the run going early to help the offense flow more smoothly.
“Extremely important [to establish the run],” Smith told reporters postgame. “But more importantly, we got to dominate the line of scrimmage — we got to own the line of scrimmage. That’s football in a nutshell. If you can win the line of scrimmage, you can win a lot of games.
“If you can win the line of scrimmage, control the turnover battle, get first downs, convert in the red zone, be great in situations — you can win a lot of games. So yeah, it’s a lot of things that we can do better, but I look forward to getting it right.”