| Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) at Washington Commanders (1-1) | |||
| Game Details: Sunday, September 21, 1 p.m. EST | |||
| Location: Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD | |||
| Where to Watch: FOX |
The Washington Commanders host the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium this Sunday. The Commanders are dealing with uncertainty at the quarterback position as Jayden Daniels nurses a sprained knee injury sustained during Thursday night’s 27-18 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, while the Raiders are searching for offensive answers after being shut out in a 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Daniels remained optimistic despite the Commanders’ setback, telling reporters after the Green Bay loss, “I wouldn’t expect anyone in this locker room to hit the panic button. We faced a really good team, and we came up short. So, we’re moving on to the next game.”Â
Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Raiders | +3.5 | +156 | Over 44.5 |
| Washington Commanders | -3.5 | -186 | Under 44.5 |
** Odds Subject to Change – Courtesy of FanDuel**
Tale of The Tape
| Las Vegas Raiders | Team Stats – Avg Per Game | Washington Commanders |
|---|---|---|
| 14.5 | Points Per Game | 19.5 |
| 241.5 | Passing Yards Per Game | 195.5 |
| 62 | Rushing Yards Per Game | 135.5 |
| 16.5 | Opponents Points Per Game Allowed | 16.5 |
| 256 | Opponents Pass Yards Allowed | 213 |
| 70.5 | Opponents Rush Yards Allowed | 104.5 |
Key Details
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are coming off their most frustrating performance of the young season, managing just nine points against the Chargers while failing to find the end zone for the first time under head coach Pete Carroll. Despite the offensive struggles, there were positive signs on defense as the unit limited Los Angeles to just three points in the second half, and the team won the time of possession battle by over three minutes.
Defensive lineman Jonah Laulu emerged as a bright spot, recording two sacks, three tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits while leading the team with three sacks through two games. His 17.6% quarterback pressure rate and 10% defensive stop percentage were the highest among Raiders defensive linemen. Cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly also impressed, allowing just one reception for four yards on four targets.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders are preparing for the possibility of starting backup Marcus Mariota if Daniels cannot recover from his knee injury in time. Daniels, who accumulated 4,459 total yards and 31 total touchdowns during his outstanding rookie campaign that culminated in the team’s first NFC Championship appearance since 1991, has been listed as day-to-day after undergoing an MRI earlier this week.
Should Mariota get the call, Washington has reason for confidence based on his performance last season. The veteran quarterback won all three regular-season games he started, completing 34 of 44 passes for a 77.3% completion rate while throwing for 364 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The Commanders’ ability to bounce back from adversity was evident last season when they turned a 1-1 start into a 3-1 record, and they’ll need that same resilience after allowing touchdown drives of 96 and 92 yards to the Packers.
Prediction
We think Daniels will play, but we are not playing those odds in this story. With Daniel in, even if not at full speed, it’s good enough to get past a Raiders team that needs to travel to the East Coast, play in the morning their time, all this after a late Monday Night game. And, they don’t have Daniels as their quarterback.
