The Washington Commanders are rolling right now. On Sunday, the Commanders defeated the Carolina Panthers 40-7 in a game where rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was injured in the first quarter and did not return.
No problem, says veteran backup Marcus Mariota.
Daniels injured his rib on Washington’s first possession. While his mother tweeted later that he was fine, the Commanders wisely kept Daniels out of the game and allowed the 10-year veteran Mariota to guide the offense.
How did Mariota respond?
Mariota completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 34 yards and led the Commanders to scoring drives on all but one possession — his first.
After the game, Mariota spoke with Evan Washburn of CBS.
“First and foremost, just him,” Mariota said of Jayden Daniels and what he thought when he first entered the game. “He’s an unbelievable kid. You just about the player and person and then it’s just football.”
How was Mariota so effective?
“These guys are unbelievable,” Mariota said of his teammates. We have an awesome group of guys that just believe in each other. They made play after play, and I just did my best to give them a chance.”
Then, Mariota had the ultimate praise for the Commanders and the culture that owner Josh Harris, GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn are building.
“It’s brotherhood. We talk about it all the time. Honestly, it’s the best place to work. I enjoy going in with these guys. It’s a lot of fun, and when you have a brotherhood like this, you’ll find ways to win.”
The Washington Commanders: The best place to work? That’s good news for those NFLPA grades that will come out later this year. Remember what Harris said? “I’m not an F-minus guy.” No, he isn’t, and neither are the Commanders anymore.