The Washington Commanders continued their dominant start to the 2024 season, defeating the Carolina Panthers 40-7 at home to improve to 5-2.
However, it will be a bittersweet victory for fans in the nation’s capital, as starting quarterback and Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Jayden Daniels left the game with a rib injury in the second quarter and did not return.
Marcus Mariota stepped in for Daniels, finishing the game 18-of-23 for 205 yards, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions. He recorded two big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays, leading the offense to an impressive 0.448 EPA per pass play, the second-best single-game mark of Washington's season so far. Fans will be hoping Mariota can maintain this level of play if Daniels is sidelined.
For Panthers fans, there wasn’t much to celebrate. Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton opened the game with a fairly bad pick-six, and he threw another interception at the end of the first quarter, which appeared to be the result of a miscommunication with his receiver. Dalton finished 12-of-17 for 93 scoreless yards before Bryce Young took over to complete the game.
PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.
In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Marcus Mariota's performance will instill confidence in Washington fans, as he looked solid in relief of Daniels. The veteran signal-caller finished the game 18-of-23 for 205 yards, two passing touchdowns and no interceptions, along with two big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays.
He was particularly effective under pressure, completing two of his five pressured passing attempts for 37 yards, one touchdown, and two big-time throws. He also contributed 34 yards and moved the chains three times on 11 rushing attempts, demonstrating that the mobile aspect of the Washington offense remains viable with him under center.
Mariota concluded the game with an impressive PFF grade of over 85.0 on initial review.
BOX SCORE
| Panthers | Commanders | |
| Total points | 7 | 40 |
| Total offensive plays | 43 | 63 |
| Average EPA per play | -0.525 | 0.278 |
| Total net yards | 180 | 421 |
| Avg yards per play | 4.2 | 6.7 |
| Total first downs | 10 | 26 |
| Rushing first downs | 5 | 8 |
| Passing first downs | 5 | 14 |
| Penalty first downs | 0 | 4 |
| Third-down efficiency | 30% | 60% |
| Fourth-down efficiency | 0% | 0% |
| Possessions | 10 | 9 |
| Avg plays per drive | 4.6 | 8.1 |
| Avg yards per drive | 16.4 | 42.1 |
| Avg points per drive | 0.6 | 3.4 |
| Red-zone possessions | 1 | 6 |
| Red-zone plays | 4 | 17 |
| Red-zone TDs | 1 | 3 |
| Red-zone FGs | 0 | 3 |
| Red-zone scoring efficiency | 100% | 100% |
SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION
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