Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels left Washington’s 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers early Sunday afternoon with a rib injury.
Although he didn’t return, backup Marcus Mariota had no problem finishing the game and leading the Commanders to victory.
Daniels left in the first quarter after making some tough shots after running with the ball on Washington’s first drive, setting up a field goal to put the Commanders up 10-0. The defense opened the game with a pick 6.
Daniels grabbed his ribs as he stood up after a tackle. He had pain on the sidelines when he worked with athletic trainers.
After trying to throw the ball a bit down the sideline, Daniels left for the locker room. He hit his helmet hard on the ground as he left the field at Northwest Stadium.
The Commanders said Daniels was questionable to return with a rib injury, and they ruled him out for the rest of the game just after halftime. Details about his injury are not known.
Daniels’ mother gave a promising update on social media midway through the second quarter. Daniels stood on the sidelines in street clothes in the second half.
Daniels went 2-of-2 for 6 yards through the air, and he had three carries for 50 yards on the ground.
Daniels has dominated this season, his first in the league after his Heisman Trophy campaign at LSU last fall. The rookie entered Sunday’s matchup with 1,404 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions while leading the Commanders to a 4-2 start. He has thrown for at least 230 yards in every game except his NFL debut, and he posted a four-game win streak before losing 30-23 to the Baltimore Ravens last week. Daniels went 24 of 35 for 269 yards with two touchdowns in that loss.
While Mariota struggled on his first drive — the Commanders went three-and-out — he put together a five-play, 59-yard touchdown drive to push Washington’s lead to 17 on his second timeout. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. carried that drive with four runs, including his 8-yard touchdown that came after Noah Brown made a pass interference call to put the Commanders in scoring position. At that point the commanders had 118 of their 120 yards on the ground.
Mariota finished throwing 18 of 23 for 205 yards with two touchdowns in the 33-point victory. He hit Zach Ertz for a 12-yard touchdown just before halftime, giving Washington a 27-0 lead at the break, and then found Ben Sinnott for a 3-yard score in the third quarter. Robinson finished with 71 yards and a touchdown on his 12 carries, and Terry McLaurin had 98 receiving yards on six catches on six targets.
Andy Dalton finished throwing 11-for-16 for just 93 yards and two interceptions in the loss for the Panthers, who have suffered four straight losses and dropped to 1-6 on the season. He was briefly replaced by Bryce Young late in the fourth quarter, despite taking over Young’s starting job earlier in the season. Chuba Hubbard led Carolina on the ground with 52 rushing yards, and he scored the Panthers’ only touchdown.
The Commanders, who are now 5-2 on the season, will host the 4-2 Chicago Bears next week.
