5 major observations from Marcus Mariota's performance against the Raiders

With no Jayden Daniels leading the charge in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Washington Commanders were relying heavily on veteran backup quarterback Marcus Mariota to do the business at Northwest Stadium.

Daniels' participation was always unlikely after sustaining a sprained knee on Thursday Night Football versus the Green Bay Packers. Mariota got all the first-team reps in practice, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was suitably impressed with his timing and grasp of the game plan.

Doing it in practice is one thing. Doing the same in a competitive regular-season environment is something else entirely. Mariota performed well when his number was called last season. However, it's also worth remembering that it was against the lowly Carolina Panthers, who gave up more than 3,000 rushing yards and the most single-season points in NFL history.

This game had special significance for Mariota. He spent two years with the Raiders without getting much of an opportunity behind Derek Carr. The game also sees the signal-caller go up against Chip Kelly, who was his head coach at Oregon en route to the Heisman Trophy.

All eyes were on Mariota to see how he would fare with the spotlight glaring. As it turned out, Mariota turned back the clock to guide the Commanders back to winning ways in pretty comfortable fashion.

With that being said, here are five significant observations from Mariota's performance against the Raiders.

Major observations from Marcus Mariota's performance against the Raiders

Marcus Mariota's mobility

One thing the Commanders wanted to see from Marcus Mariota was solid mobility. Kliff Kingsbury's offense is predicated on his quarterback being able to improvise and escape pressure when called upon. Aside from one costly fumble, it was largely pleasing in this regard.

Mariota looked comfortable when getting out on the move. He leaned heavily on the run game early, and managed to gain a few chunk plays himself when things weren't developing downfield as expected. The legs looked fresh, and he gave the Raiders something different to think about.

This was precisely what the Commanders needed. It allowed Mariota to relax and find his groove. He's not played much football in recent months, so it was probably nice to shake off some rust and take a few legitimate hits.

Mariota eventually finished the game with 40 rushing yards from six carries. This is a potent area of Jayden Daniels' game, too, so it was nice to see a minimal drop-off for the offense to depend upon.

Much more was needed, but Mariota's rushing prowess was a solid foundation from which to build.

Marcus Mariota's poise

Marcus Mariota did not look flustered at any stage. He was never going to have the same dynamism that Jayden Daniels brings to the table, but the Washington Commanders didn't need it. They required him to manage the game effectively and come through in key moments.

Mariota's been in the league a long time. He's had ups and downs, but these experiences served him well. Not having Daniels was an obvious blow, but the backup has the poise to get everyone focused in the absence of Washington's franchise player.

It wasn't perfect. There were some timing issues as anticipated, but nothing to overly concern. Mariota knew when to get the football out. Had there not been some unacceptable drops throughout the game, things would have looked even better from a statistical standpoint.

Being composed in the face of pressure doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but it puts everyone at ease. It's also why Mariota is considered among the league's best understudies at football's most crucial position.

Losing Daniels could have had a catastrophic impact. But everyone within the Commanders believes in Mariota. His flawless demeanor and ability to move on from one play to the next are big reasons why.

Marcus Mariota's solid first half

It was a solid if not spectacular first half from Marcus Mariota. The fumble after leaving his feet on a run was a significant blemish on his performance, but the signal-caller was mistake-free for the most part.

This was about emerging from the game relatively unscathed without Jayden Daniels to depend upon. Mariota ticked all those boxes except for one error. He kept things ticking over, controlled the line of scrimmage well, and went through his progressions effectively enough.

Again, there were some issues. But considering how most backup quarterbacks around the league flounder when tasked with starting responsibilities, it could have been a whole lot worse.

The Commanders made things more complicated than needed. Fortunately, nobody panics under this current regime. They are made of sterner stuff, and Mariota became the embodiment of that.

Mariota didn't have to be a hero. He is a creative game manager at this stage of his career. It's a role he's assumed extremely well, and his confidence transitioned to everyone else as the game went on.

He'd probably like to have a few throws and the fumble back. But as stated previously, the Commanders are fortunate to have this caliber of backup at their disposal when Daniels can't go.

Commanders made things much easier for Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota couldn't do it alone. The Washington Commanders knew that their veteran quarterback needed help to come through for them. It was a challenge everyone rose to accordingly.

The Commanders took their Week 2 loss against the Green Bay Packers personally. They were right at the top of their respective games in all phases. This came at the first whistle and continued until the end. It also made life much easier for Mariota along the way.

Washington's defense performed well. The special-teams unit, especially the kick return game, was nothing short of exceptional. This gave Mariota enough leeway to manage the game effectively, take chances when they came along, and protect the football down the stretch.

The offensive line met their end of the bargain, keeping Mariota's pocket relatively clean and conceding just one sack. Sometimes, all you need is a little extra balance to get things trending up. And the Commanders were never in any real danger thanks to a much more well-rounded effort.

Putting up 40 points is difficult in the NFL. Mariota's touchdown pass to Luke McCaffery put the exclamation point on proceedings late on, which capped off a comfortable afternoon and propelled his passer rating to 118.4 for good measure.

But make no mistake, this was a collective effort.

Marcus Mariota got the job done

Jayden Daniels' absence didn't end up being that big of a deal. The Commanders overcame some early jitters to put together their most accomplished performance of the campaign. Marcus Mariota kept things churning along, and he didn't look out of place whatsoever.

Mariota got the job done. His individual performance might not go down among the greats in franchise history, but he was always doing just enough to be a sustainable force under center. That's all the Commanders, or any other team, want from their backup quarterback. And Washington just so happens to have one of the most productive around.

The veteran completed 71.42 percent of his passes for 207 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. He lost a fumble but gained 40 yards on the ground from six carries. The Commanders got back to winning ways, and their No. 2 option under center played effective, efficient football to steer them on the right path.

In an ideal world, Daniels will be starting again next weekend when they travel to the Atlanta Falcons, who are reeling from a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. But if the Commanders decide to give him another week to heal, Mariota is more than capable of getting one over on another of his old teams.