Raiders vs Commanders: Washington’s Jayden Daniels Could Be Out (Sep 21)

• For NFL Week 3 Raiders-Commanders, the key story to watch is whether Washington’s star QB Jayden Daniels can play
• Both teams are coming off Week 2 losses and need a rebound
• The Raiders’ vaunted rookie Ashton Jeanty has been terrible so far
• The Commanders are not sneaking up on anyone in 2025 as they did in 2024
• Washington has won the last 4 meetings, the most recent being in 2021
• Oddsmakers have the Commanders as a 3.5-point favorite

The Raiders’ Running Game Has Been Nonexistent

In the 2025 NFL Draft, Ashton Jeanty was perhaps the hottest running back prospect since Saquon Barkley. In 2024, he was second in the Heisman Trophy voting and led the FBS in rushing attempts and yards (2,601) for Boise State. He scored 29 touchdowns and averaged 7 yards per carry.

In his first two pro games, he’s been disappointing to say the least. And he’s seemed indifferent to a key aspect of being an NFL back: blocking.

Jeanty has said he wants more carries. If the Raiders are going to succeed, they need him to live up to his potential. So far, he’s rushed for 81 yards on 30 carries. As a rookie, he’s not entirely to blame. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly needs to put him in a better situation to succeed. This must be straightened out sooner rather than later.

QB Geno Smith had a rough outing in the Raiders’ 20-9 loss to the Chargers on Monday night. He threw 3 picks and was running for his life for much of the game.

Star edge rusher Maxx Crosby is off to a slow start with 7 combination tackles and 1 sack this season. Las Vegas has been solid against the run but has struggled against the pass.

Daniels’ Status Is Up in the Air

Needless to say, there’s a failed Wile E. Coyote ACME product drop off the cliff from Jayden Daniels to veteran backup QB Marcus Mariota. That’s not an indictment of Mariota. It’s the reality of how important Daniels is to the Commanders.

Daniels sprained his knee in Week 2 against the Packers.

He played the rest of the game in the loss.

Mariota has not started a game in two years. He has thrown 67 passes since then. Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury will need to dramatically alter his game plan to adapt to Mariota with a shorter-strike offense and reliance on the running game with rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt.

Running back Austin Ekeler was also lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

Green Bay’s Jordan Love carved up the Commanders’ defense with 292 yards passing and 2 TD passes. Josh Jacobs ran for 84 yards on 23 carries. Raiders’ QB Geno Smith can get the ball downfield, so if Jeanty is effective, Washington could have problems in this game.

Raiders vs Commanders Pick

For Week 3 Raiders-Commanders, Washington is severely compromised if they are without Daniels. He has not practiced, but the team has not declared him out yet. He will not be 100% if he does play, and for the long-term good, they might be better off sitting him in favor of Mariota.

Expect Jeanty to play a bigger role in this game and for Smith to push the vertical passing game to Jakobi Myers, with Brock Bowers getting his share of targets.

With their injuries and their struggles against the pass, this will be a tough game for the Commanders, even though they’re at home against a retooling Raiders team.