ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders put 40 points on the Carolina Panthers in a Week 7 win that improved the team’s record to 5-2.
That’s the good news. The bad news is Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was injured on the first offensive possession of the game leading to veteran backup Marcus Mariota entering the game.
Eventually, Mariota quarterbacked the Washington offense to 30 points worth of production, but it didn’t start off too strong. Completing none of his first three pass attempts the offense sputtered just a bit when the rookie left the game relying on strong play by the defense and running back Brian Robinson Jr. to get a touchdown and a field goal in the first three drives after Daniels left.
It took that team effort to stabilize the game flow following the injury, and it was that same team spirit that helped get Mariota rolling on his fourth drive of the game.
“We have an unbelievable group of players that we talk about all the time. We have a brotherhood here, and it's very unique, something that is very different from other teams that I've been on, and just that kind of belief in each other really settled me down,” Mariota said following the game Sunday night. “And from there, just went out there and played."
That feeling of true togetherness is something every NFL team preaches and aspires to achieve, but very few actually capture. And there was something poetic about it being on full display on the same day over 50 alumni were present for the retirement of Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green’s jersey No. 28.
“I know how hard they’ll go for one another,” head coach Dan Quinn said about his team in an exclusive interview with WUSA9’s Chick Hernandez. “To see this connection taking place, teammate to teammate, that’s when I (know) there is something powerful and something special could that could take place because of how much they care for one another and how hard they’ll fight.”