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Watch Commanders QB Marcus Mariota turn Dan Quinn into a bloody mess on sideline
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- Watch Commanders QB Marcus Mariota turn Dan Quinn into a bloody mess on sideline
The post Watch Commanders QB Marcus Mariota turn Dan Quinn into a bloody mess on sideline appeared first on ClutchPoints .
With Jayden Daniels out due to a knee injury, the Washington Commanders turned to veteran backup Marcus Mariota for their Week 3 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders . Mariota immediately made an impression on head coach Dan Quinn , just not in the way he had prepared for.
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The 31-year-old is still as nimble as he was when he won the 2014 Heisman Trophy. He showed off that athleticism on a run play in the first half, which unfortunately ended with him getting shoved out of bounds and colliding directly into Quinn.
The impact sent the 55-year-old onto his back, and the collision visibly caused a cut on his nose.
That did not deter Quinn for a second, who quickly popped back up to his feet and resumed coaching. Quinn did not address the cut on his nose and celebrated a Matt Gay field goal with blood on his face just minutes later.
It is that type of mentality that quickly made him a beloved figure in the nation's capital.
The run was one of six attempts for Mariota, who scrambled for 40 rushing yards in the victory. Mariota scored on the team's first drive of the game with a two-yard plunge. He also ended the game with 207 passing yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.
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Quinn eventually addressed the cut, but he never left the sidelines. All the coach did was encourage his quarterback, who valiantly led his team to a 41-24 victory.
Marcus Mariota leads Commanders to 2-1 start without Jayden Daniels
Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
With the win, the Commanders move to 2-1 on the year and rebound from their first loss of the season. Mariota is now 1-0 as a starter in his two-year career with Washington and 3-0 in games that he has played more than two quarters.
There is certainly no quarterback battle, but Mariota has thrived whenever given opportunities in Washington. Aside from a fumble earlier in the game, the former Tennessee Titans starter looked superb in his first full game under first-year offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
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The Commanders were also without running back Austin Ekeler for the first time. Ekeler went down with a leg injury late in Week 2 that was later deemed a season-ending torn Achilles.
Without Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt , Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. split the duties and combined for 143 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Related: Commanders starting DB suffered fractured fibula during Raiders game
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