Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota scored his first two touchdowns with Washington in the Commanders 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers.
For his first touchdown, Mariota showed poise in the pocket and efficiency as he led the Commanders on an eight play, 92-yard touchdown drive to end the second quarter and give Washington a 27-0 lead over the Carolina Panthers.
Mariota tossed a beautiful 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz to cap off a two-minute drill to end the first half.
In the third quarter, Mariota struck again, with a three-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Ben Sinnott. It marked Sinnott's first NFL touchdown.
Mariota finished the game 18-of-23 for 205 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The former Oregon Duck and Heisman Trophy winner entered the game after starter Jayden Daniels had to go to the locker room with a rib injury vs. the Carolina Panthers. Daniels did not return and appeared frustrated, taking off his helmet and throwing it to the turf.
Daniels returned from halftime in street clothes, looking in good spirits, and his mom tweeted that "he's fine."
“I don’t have a lot of information on the update yet. It sounds like a rib injury, but I don't have an official update for you. We'll get one as soon as possible,” Quinn said.
Mariota showcased resilience in the victory. When asked how he was able to be so effective, Mariota complimented his teammates.
"These guys are unbelievable," said Mariota after the game. "We have an awesome group of guys that believe in each other. They made play after play. I just did my best to give them a chance... It's a brotherhood. "When you have a brotherhood like this, you'll find ways to win."
Commanders coach Dan Quinn has raved about the presence and experience that the nine-year NFL veteran Mariota has brought to his team.
“In a perfect scenario,” said Quinn, “A young quarterback would have a leader to also learn from, but perfect rarely happens. But we do have that in Marcus Mariota. Him sharing nine years of gold with Jayden, I think, has been something that’s really cool for us to see. Rookie quarterbacks usually don’t get that, and we do.”
The No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels has had an incredible rookie season so far. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, Daniels has thrown for 1,404 yards and six touchdowns with only two interceptions.
Mariota has been instrumental in helping Daniels adjust to the NFL.
“When I was a young player, I was just trying to be perfect, have the perfect feet, and you kind of lose that sense of playing the positions and just being instinctual,” said Mariota. “We're just trying to help (Daniels). ‘Hey, just be an instinctive player that you’ve been, but here are the guidelines that we want you to follow so you can go out there and be successful.”
Mariota (chest injury) was activated off the Commanders' injured reserve list on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Mariota served as a backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles last season behind starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. In three appearances for the Eagles in 2023, Mariota went 15 for 23 for 164 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
The Ducks' first Heisman Trophy winner ever and the first from the state of Hawai'i became Oregon's second unanimous first-team All-American of all time.
