They didn’t have much tangible incentive to play hard on the road, aside from bragging rights over an NFC East rival, but Marcus Mariota had plenty to say about the effort the Washington Commanders put into their game against the New York Giants in Week 15.
Backup quarterback Mariota threw for 211 yards and a touchdown while still filling in for injured starter Jayden Daniels. Although he lost a fumble, Mariota made plays when it counted during a 29-21 win at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, December 14, and he liked what he saw from his teammates after the Commanders had lost eight-straight games.
Speaking to reporters after beating Big Blue, Mariota explained, “It’s never easy at this point in time, with what’s going on in our season, but those guys continue to fight, continue to battle, and truly appreciate who this group is and we just keep finding ways to get better,” per JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports.
Pressed about the lengthy losing run, Mariota acknowledged the Commanders needed to make amends following last week’s 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The 32-year-old admitted “it’s hard to go two months without winning a football game. For our guys to be able to put that aside, fight all week, and knowing it was going to be a division opponent on the road. Games like this are never easy. Weather was tough, windy, cold, snowy. So many reasons, so many things for guys to not to show up and play and our guys found a way today, just appreciate them for that.”
Snapping a run of futility that began after the Commanders upset the Los Angeles Chargers 27-10 back in Week 5, was a welcome tonic for Mariota and Co. Winning on the road without their star player gives the 4-10 Commanders a genuine reason for optimism, but beating a fellow struggling team doesn’t paper over all of the cracks.
Marcus Mariota Made Smart Choices
Mariota brought some veteran calm to a group in crisis after events in Minnesota. He only threw 19 times while leaning on a busy and productive running game.
The Commanders amassed 145 yards on 37 rushing attempts, 10 from Mariota for 43, proving the 11-year pro is still a credible dual-threat playmaker. More important than showing his wheels still work, Mariota made smart choices when throwing the football, spreading his passes between the right receivers.
Specifically, Mariota targeted go-to wide receiver Terry McLaurin four times. McLaurin made three catches, the most notable being this 51-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter.
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Getting McLaurin going again after what’s been a frustrating, stop-start campaign to this point was the right move. So was Mariota spending more time handing the ball off than airing it out.
The conservative approach allowed the Commanders to control large portions of the game, but they were still unable to avoid some of the same mistakes that plagued them in Minnesota.
Commanders Made Hard Work of Overdue Win
Head coach Dan Quinn put it best when he bluntly stated, “we made it a lot harder than it needed to be,” per ESPN’s John Keim.
Quinn’s words rang true because the Commanders looked like a team that had developed a losing habit it couldn’t shake. That’s how consistent mistakes, like Mariota getting strip-sacked by Giants safety Dane Belton, kept this game in the balance.
His fumble wasted a goal-line stand by a Washington defense that soon wilted on fourth down after Mariota’s giveaway. The dire sequence was described by Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
It’s now an 8-point game with about 3 minutes left.
Inexplicably, the Commanders weren’t done giving the ball back to the Giants. Not when running back Jeremy McNichols fumbled on the next drive, giving the hosts a late chance to tie.
Finding ways to lose from winning positions is the hallmark of a losing team. Fortunately, a historic contribution from special teams had already given the Commanders invaluable margin for error in their quest to salvage some pride from a lost season that unravelled fast after the highs against the Chargers.
Marcus Mariota Speaks Out About Commanders Effort vs. Giants