Falcons Preparing for Commanders QBs Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota

With all of the attention on the Atlanta Falcons' offense this week, following a 30-0 shutout loss to the Carolina Panthers, one of the more interesting storylines of the next game has been relatively ignored.

The Washington Commanders come to town with former Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn, who was hired prior to last season, same as Falcons head coach Raheem Morris. Quinn led his team to the playoffs last season behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

However, Daniels was out with a knee sprain last week, and former Falcons' quarterback Marcus Mariota led the Commanders to a comfortable win over the Last Vegas Raiders.

Daniels hasn't been cleared to return for the game on Sunday, which could set up Quinn returning to Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Mariota as his starter. Like Kirk Cousins last season, Mariota was benched in favor of a rookie late in his lone season with the Falcons, and later revealed he'd been playing with an injury.

Unlike Cousins, Mariota then told head coach Arthur Smith he was leaving the team to be with his wife and newborn daughter, and he never came back.

While the storyline would be interesting, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich knows he has to be ready for both quarterbacks. Daniels was the rookie of the year last season, and Mariota was 15 of 21 passing for 207 yards and a touchdown, and added 40 yards rushing and another touchdown on the ground last week against the Raiders' 23rd-ranked defense.

“It does a little bit from the standpoint of the passing game because they're a little bit different passers. I really believe this team, they make their money with their run game, whether that's the run itself or what it sets up, or the RPO off the run game," Ulbrich said this week.

"That is going to be the same, regardless. Jayden [Daniels] ran that at a high level in college, and he's running at a high level at the Commanders. Marcus Mariota, everywhere he's gone, he's running at a high level. I've had experience with him at the collegiate level and the professional level.

"So, I'm getting sick and tired of playing against him. He's a pain in the butt. He's a better athlete than you want him to be. He can run that offense at a high level. So, regardless of who we face, it's going to be a tremendous challenge.”

The Falcons have the No. 2-ranked defense in yards against after three weeks, and they are 10th against the run. Washington brings the No. 2-ranked rushing attack to Mercedes-Benz on Sunday, so Ulbrich knows what the first priority is against the Commanders.

Last season, Daniels passed for 227 yards and three touchdowns, but he killed the Falcons' soft zone with his legs, racking up 127 yards on 16 carries.

The Falcons will likely catch a break and miss wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who is battling an upper-leg injury, but McLaurin was ineffective last season, fighting an ankle injury as well.

Ulbrich's defense has played admirably this season, despite little help from the other side of the ball. They'll face arguably their biggest challenge of the season on Sunday, no matter who is the quarterback.