Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Out For Week 3

The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to get back in the win column in Week 3 on the road against the Washington Commanders. Like the Raiders, the Commanders are also looking to get back on track after a disappointing Week 2 showing, but unlike the Raiders, Washington will be without their starting quarterback.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced that quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss Sunday’s contest against the Raiders due to a sprained knee and veteran Marcus Mariota will start, via Michael David Smith of NBC Sports:

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Raiders, and Marcus Mariota will start.

Washington coach Dan Quinn confirmed today that Daniels won’t play after suffering a knee injury last Thursday. Daniels wasn’t able to do much on the practice field this week, so the news that Mariota is starting came as no surprise.

“We’ve decided to start Marcus,” Quinn said. “We said at the beginning that we would be very diligent with [Daniels’] return to play.”

Losing Daniels is a massive blow for the Commanders, as the second-year QB led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie and is one of the most dynamic young players at his position. But the Raiders’ defense cannot afford to breathe a sigh of relief, as Mariota is more than capable of making them pay. The former second overall pick in the 2015 draft has seen it all and is a dual-threat player who can be effective both with his arm and legs.

So far this season, the Raiders’ defense has been impressive, allowing just 33 points in two games and ranking fourth in the league in rushing yards allowed. This week, they have the chance to continue their strong play, and not having to deal with Daniels is a plus, but Mariota remains a dangerous weapon to face as well.

The most important thing is for the Raiders to remain locked in and treat this Commanders team exactly the same as if Daniels were playing. Going on the road to Washington is a challenging task regardless of who is under center, and the Raiders have a real chance to put that awful performance against the Chargers behind them with a big road win.

Maxx Crosby trusts Raiders coaches trying different things on defense

The Raiders’ defense has been strong so far, but some have questioned certain plays that have seen superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby drop into coverage. However, Crosby himself trusts his coaches to try these different things and feels he will excel in any position he is put in.