Tag: Marcus Mariota

Chip Kelly’s return to the NFL could lead Commanders to lose Marcus Mariota

Chip Kelly is back in the NFL and could target Marcus Mariota.

The Washington Commanders have a franchise quarterback. Jayden Daniels broke numerous team and NFL records, leading Washington to its best season since 1991, which included 12 wins, two postseason road wins, and an appearance in the NFC championship game.

Outside of Daniels, the Commanders had several other heroes in 2024, including backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. Like Daniels, Mariota was a former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick. But after nine NFL seasons, he signed with Washington to serve as a mentor and backup to Daniels.

The two grew close, and Daniels often praised Mariota for helping him. In the Week 17 game against Atlanta, Mariota saw something in the defense and told Daniels during a timeout. The rookie then threw the game-winning touchdown pass to clinch a playoff berth. 

Mariota appeared in three games, with two lengthy appearances. He was excellent. In a Week 18 win at Dallas, he had a clutch fourth-down run on the game-winning drive. A few plays later, Mariota found Terry McLaurin for the game-winning touchdown.

Mariota, like so many others last offseason, signed a one-year contract with the Commanders. With the way he played when he had the chance, some teams will likely want to sign him to serve as a bridge quarterback.

One of those teams could be the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders just hired Chip Kelly, Mariota’s former college coach, as their new offensive coordinator. Mariota rose to prominence with Kelly at Oregon before the coach left to become the Eagles’ head coach in 2013.

The Raiders will be signing a veteran quarterback. And whoever that quarterback is will have a chance to start. Some have linked Russell Wilson to Las Vegas due to his connection with new head coach Pete Carroll. But Mariota makes more sense because of his history with Mariota.

Mariota, 31, enjoyed his time in Washington and could return as the Commanders chase a Super Bowl next season. He embraced his role as Daniels’s backup and mentor, but he probably wants to play.

It will be interesting to see if Washington general manager Adam Peters prioritizes Mariota or looks for a cheaper option behind Daniels. Mariota’s role and leadership were an underrated part of Washington’s success in 2024.

Dolphins will have interest in Marcus Mariota, says NFL insider

The Dolphins are likely to pursue veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota in free agency, says ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Miami Dolphins’ lackluster backup quarterback situation proved to be a fatal flaw in 2024. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has already reported that the team will have its eye on one veteran as a possible solution.

After saying Monday that the Las Vegas Raiders could be the landing spot for impending free agent Marcus Mariota, Schefter added the Dolphins are also a strong possibility.

“I’ll tell you where else Marcus Mariota is going to be an option: in Miami with Tua [Tagovailoa] — his good friend Tua,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He’ll be an option there. So there could be a little bit of interest in Marcus Mariota between the Miami Dolphins and Chip Kelly and the Las Vegas Raiders. … He’ll have some interesting choices this offseason.”

Mariota, 31, spent the 2024 season with the Washington Commanders — his fourth team in as many seasons. The former No. 2 overall pick already had a two-year stint with the Raiders earlier in his career, but speculation of a potential return is linked to the addition of Chip Kelly, who coached Mariota for two years at Oregon, as the offensive coordinator in Las Vegas.

In 2024, Mariota took snaps in three games with the Commanders and finished the year with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Earlier this year, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told reporters that the team made an effort to sign a free agent passer in 2024.

“We were in on a number of topflight backup quarterbacks in the league,” Grier said. “We were runner-ups for a couple of them that we wanted to get here, and for some financial restraints and compensatory pick stuff, we just couldn’t go to those, to the prices. But all of those guys wanted to come here. It’s a position we do not take lightly.”

It wouldn’t be surprising if Mariota was one of the quarterbacks who talked with the Dolphins before opting to play elsewhere. Between the one-year, $6 million deal he signed and the opportunity to compete with a rookie for snaps, the Commanders offered opportunity and pay to Mariota that the Dolphins would’ve had a hard time matching.

While the urgency to address the quarterback depth has been raised for the Dolphins after backups went 2-4 in Tagovailoa’s absence last season, many of the same challenges could arise in 2025. The Raiders have significantly more salary cap space and no entrenched starter in place.

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Couple top 5 picks among former Raiders on Conference Championship teams

Today we learn which teams will be playing in the Super Bowl. And there are a few former Raiders on these four teams who are hoping to punch their tickets. Including a couple former top five picks.

Today we learn which teams will be playing in the Super Bowl. And there are a few former Raiders on these four teams who are hoping to punch their tickets. Including a couple former top five picks.

Noon (3pm ET) Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles

Known at this point like one of the bigger busts in Raiders history. Mainly because he was taken fourth overall in the draft and never did anything to even warrant being a first round pick. He was a reach at the time. If you don’t believe me, just ask the guy who drafted him. Mike Mayock admitted after Ferrell was selected that the team tried to trade down first, but got no takers, so they selected him anyway.

Ferrell never did much of anything with the Raiders. They didn’t pick up his fifth year option and after his rookie contract was up, they had no problem letting him walk. He spent the 2023 season with the 49ers and latched on with the Commanders this season, where is a rotational guy, having started ten games in 14 appearances while only taking more the 50% of the snaps twice.

Noon (3pm ET) Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles

Mariota spent two seasons with the Raiders, with no starts. He has settled into the role of primary backup. Now he’s behind Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels and he and the rest of the Commanders are hoping to hitch their wagons to a star.

3:30pm (6:30pm ET) Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs

Coop was another fourth overall pick by the Raiders, just like Ferrell. But has had a far more successful career. Even still, midway through his fourth season with the Raiders, he was more valuable in trade than he was to the team, so he was sent to Dallas for a first round pick. Then, as expected, he commanded a huge new contract. A deal the Raiders would never have given him for his production — which was good but not great.

Three years into that deal, the Cowboys traded him to Cleveland. A couple years later — this season — the Browns sent him to Buffalo. And hence he finds himself playing for his first shot at a Super Bowl. And he could beat the Raiders bitter rival Chiefs to get there. You’d have to assume he’d be more excited about this meeting with the Chiefs than he was at any point when he played with the Raiders.

3:30pm (6:30pm ET) Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs

Coop will line up opposite another former Raiders receiver. Hollins has his best season as a pro in his one season in Las Vegas. One could say that season is the whole reason he’s on this team in the first place. Having proven he can be a viable X receiver when called upon.

3:30pm (6:30pm ET) Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs

Another guy who had a career year in his one season with the Raiders. He started a career-high 17 games and put up a career-high 47 combined tackles. He’s been on four teams in three years since then, including joining Amari Cooper in being traded from the Browns to the Bills.

The Commanders ran a perplexing Marcus Mariota 4th-down play instead of giving Jayden Daniels the ball

What was Kliff Kingsbury trying to accomplish here?

To upset the No. 1 seeded Detroit Lions on the road, the Washington Commanders knew they’d probably have to be perfect. They knew they’d have to pull out every trick from their bag to steal points, possessions, and generally keep the Lions on their toes.

Uh, as evidenced by Washington’s opening possession, head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury probably overthought this mantra.

At the apex of a promising Commanders opening drive deep into Lions territory, Washington elected to keep the pressure on and try to convert a key fourth and short. This wasn’t a bad idea on its face. No one in the NFL had a higher fourth-down conversion percentage than the Commanders this season (82.14 percent). The problem is that Kingsbury took the ball out of Jayden Daniels’ hands, the likely Offensive Rookie of the Year.

And what was Washington’s plan instead? To motion backup quarterback Marcus Mariota under center before he took the snap, panicked, took a sack, and didn’t make any decision with the ball.

What an awful play call at that moment:

A note to the Commanders: they should try simply giving the ball to their best players in crunch situations. That usually works out for the better!

Commanders make it five consecutive nail biters

Sunday made it five consecutive nailbiters for the Commanders.

The Commanders made it five consecutive games, Sunday night in Tampa.

Of course, they have won five consecutive games. But they not only won all five, but each and every one of the five games literally came down to the final seconds.

  1. December 15: Washington wins 20-19 when the New Orleans Saints’ two-point pass attempt falls incomplete with no time on the clock.
  2. December 22: Jayden Daniels passes to Jamison Crowder for a 9-yard touchdown with six seconds remaining for a 36-33 win over the Eagles.
  3. December 29: Jayden Daniels connects with Zach Ertz on a 2-yard touchdown pass in overtime to defeat the Falcons 30-24.
  4. January 5: Marcus Mariota passes to Terry McLaurin for a 5-yard touchdown with three seconds remaining as the Commanders beat the Cowboys 23-19.
  5. January 12: Washington uses up the final 4:41, and Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard field goal as time expires doinks off of the right upright for the 23-20 win.

On Monday, Quinn was asked about what happens in the final moments of the games.

“You can feel their instant connection,” Quinn answered. “That’s honestly what I feel in these moments; they do have belief in one another, and that’s one of the coolest parts of it. Whether it was a defensive stop, an offensive score or a field goal that takes place. All of those are really cool memories.”

The fact it has occurred in five consecutive games is something to contemplate and re-watch a few times to soak it in. However, that will have to wait until the offseason. The Commanders have been too busy preparing for the next game. This time, it is the top NFC seed, the Detroit Lions.

“We don’t look back a lot, honestly, just because we don’t want to miss what’s next and what’s coming up, but it is really cool to know that in these spots, they’re comfortable, and they’ve been in a lot of them. So, there’s a real belief that goes with being in that spot.”

What did Commanders’ Marcus Mariota say about win over Dallas?

What did Marcus Mariota say about his performance in the Commanders’ win over Dallas?

“It was awesome; it was awesome.”

That’s how Commanders’ quarterback Marcus Mariota began his postgame interaction with the media following the Commanders’ exciting 23-19 last-second win.

“We got a great group of guys and it was just fun to be out there in the play. Obviously, getting the win is huge, but our guys are unbelievable.”

After a Dallas punt, Washington began its final opportunity at its own 9-yard line, some 91 yards away from a winning touchdown, with 3:25 remaining on the game clock.

During the drive, Washington faced a fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 49 with only 33 seconds remaining. Mariota ran a zone read to his left. The unblocked defensive end came forward, but Mariota found room and darted up the field. He was not caught until he had gained 33 yards to the Dallas 16.

“I really should have scored honestly (smiling), I mean, maybe a few years ago. They did a good job all game trying to contain the zone-read stuff. I just felt like I had an opportunity there; our guys did a great job blocking it, and I just made a play.”

Mariota found out at halftime that he would be taking over for Jayden Daniels in the second half. He said next week didn’t matter yet: “I think Coach Q does a great job keeping our guys focused on the present and finding ways to get better.”

He credited Dan Quinn and the other men on the staff for getting players to buy in. “I think when you have that type of mentality and that type of culture, guys just kind of fall into place, and you just focus on taking it one day at a time.”

The former second overall pick in 2015 (Oregon) said that, though it was late in the season, nothing was different, and the players were very confident.

Sunday, Mariota exhibited he still has enough in the tank as a player, leading Washington to second-half scoring drives of 70, 70, and 91 yards.

Mariota’s play in the second half was “awesome, it was awesome.”

Was Jayden Daniels injured in win over Cowboys?

Was Jayden Daniels hurt when Marcus Mariota relieved him in the second half?

When the Washington Commanders came out of halftime of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had on a toboggan while Marcus Mariota was practicing taking snaps from center Michael Deiter.

Was head coach Dan Quinn planning to sit Daniels for the remainder of the game and go with the 10-year veteran ahead of next week’s playoff game? Yes, Quinn did indeed go with Mariota to finish the game after Daniels took several hits in the first half. Some were wondering if it was the plan all along for Mariota to play in the second half.

Mariota did play, leading three touchdown drives, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin. The Commanders escaped Dallas with a 23-19 win, locking up the No. 6 seed for the NFC playoffs.

After the game, Quinn explained that going with Mariota in the second half wasn’t the initial plan.

“It wasn’t a plan going in,” Quinn said after the game. “We thought we were going all the way. But he had some mild soreness in his leg, and I just kind of made the decision honestly to say, ‘Hey, let’s go with Marcus. It felt like it was gonna be a game they were really playing upfield, we’re going to have to use the quarterback’s legs more, and so, it was my decision……but it wasn’t predetermined, I just thought it was the way to go.”

Quinn didn’t say Daniels was injured, but at one point in the first half, it looked like Daniels may have favored his leg. He played through it.

So, is Daniels fine?

“100 percent,” Daniels said when asked if he would’ve played through the leg soreness if it would’ve been a must-win game. “They would’ve had to drag me off the field.”

Everything sounds fine. We’ll know more this week once Washington returns to the practice field on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if the Commanders list him on the injury report, even if he practices.

Washington plays at Tampa in next week’s wild-card round.

Commanders win fifth straight: The top X reactions to Washington’s victory over Dallas

The best reactions from the Commanders’ win over the Cowboys.

The Washington Commanders sure have a flair for the dramatics here recently. After last-second wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons the last two weeks, Washington did it again on Sunday, beating the Dallas Cowboys 23-19 when quarterback Marcus Mariota found wide receiver Terry McLaurin for the game-winner with three seconds remaining.

Dallas led Washington 6-3 at halftime for the second time this season. However, following the same script from the first meeting six weeks ago, the offensive fireworks were saved for the second half. The Cowboys managed only one touchdown, which came with seven minutes remaining to give them a 19-16 lead.

Mariota, who relieved rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels for the second half, rescued Washington. Mariota led the Commanders on touchdown drives of 70, 70, and 91 yards in four second-half drives.

Throughout the game, Washington fans were frustrated, specifically with the defense. The Commanders allowed the Cowboys, one of the NFL’s worst rushing teams, to rush for 150 yards. Dallas quarterback Trey Lance, making his first start in over two years, passed for 244 yards, ran for 26, and did not turn the ball over.

Fans were elated by the end of the game, though, which is a typical gameday for Commanders’ social media.

Here are some of the top reactions on X — formerly Twitter.

Another tough day for Benjamin St-Juste.

The second penalty on St-Juste was a bad call, though.

Some “love” for defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

Sad little Eagles fan weighing in. Interesting how these profiles are always the same:

Skip Bayless

 

Marcus Mariota rescues Commanders: Quick facts from Washington’s win

Marcus Mariota rescued the Commanders. Several facts and numbers from the win.

The ‘Commanders’ offense was pitiful,, but Marcus Mariota rescued them Sunday in their come-from-behind 23-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington.

Here are some of the quick facts from the Commanders’ 12th win of the 2024 season:

  • With this 12th win of the season, Dan Quinn joins Joe Gibbs as the only head coaches in franchise history to obtain 12 regular season wins in a season.
  • Terry McLaurin’s game-winning touchdown reception was his 13th touchdown catch this season, a new franchise record.
  • The Commanders’ offense was so weak in the first half that they produced only four first downs and 64 total yards of offense.
  • The half ended with Dallas leading 6-3. When the teams met in November, the half ended with the game tied 3-3.
  • Marcus Mariota substituted for Jayden Daniels in the second half and led scoring drives of 70 yards, 70 yards, and 91 yards.
  • McLaurin joined Travis Kelce as the only active players to record 75-plus receptions and 1,000-plus receiving yards in five consecutive seasons.
  • Marcus Mariota’s second-half numbers were 15/18, 161 yards, two touchdown passes, and one touchdown rushing.
  • On the final drive, the Commanders faced a fourth & 1. Marcus Mariota pulled off a magical 33-yard run, which was the longest rushing attempt of the day for either team. Here it is:

 

  • Jayden Daniels had his worst day of the season. He only completed six of 12 for a mere 38 yards and was sacked four times for -18 yards.
  • Washington running backs today Brian Robinson (5-10) and Austin Ekeler (3-12) had a rough rushing. Jayden Daniels had four carries for 27 yards. But then Marcus Mariota produced 56 yards on five carries.
  • With a productive second half, Terry McLaurin finished with eight catches for 62 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
  • Today, the Commanders trailed at the half (6-3), the third consecutive week they have done so. They also achieved a come-from-behind win for the third consecutive week (Eagles, Falcons, Cowboys).
  • Jonathan Allen, working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle, collected a quarterback sack today. It was his 42nd career sack, passing Ken Harvey (41.5) for 5th in franchise history. * Note that only dates back to 1982 when sacks became an official statistic.
  • Washington only won four games in 2023. Today is their 12th win of the 2024 season. The improvement of eight games in a season is the greatest in franchise history.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin breaks franchise record with 13th touchdown

McLaurin sets the record in dramatic fashion.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin made the history books in Sunday’s 23-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys. McLaurin did it in the best way possible, helping his team win the game.

Heading into the regular-season finale, McLaurin had a career-high 12 touchdowns. The 12 touchdowns also tied a franchise record held by Ricky Sanders since 1988. Sanders was one-third of the famous trio of Washington receivers known as “The Posse,” along with Hall of Famer Art Monk and Gary Clark.

With six seconds remaining in Sunday’s game, quarterback Marcus Mariota had one play to either score the game-winning touchdown or give kicker Zane Gonzalez enough time to kick a field goal that would have sent the game into overtime.

Mariota and McLaurin were taking no chances, as the veteran quarterback found McLaurin from five yards out for the game-winner. And with the catch, McLaurin set a new franchise record with his 13th touchdown catch of the season.

After catching only one pass for five yards in the first half, McLaurin took over on Washington’s final two drives and finished with eight receptions for 62 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

The Commanders finished the regular season 12-5 and clinched the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Congratulations, Terry McLaurin.