Marcus Mariota kept fighting, but it wasn't enough
Nobody could accuse Marcus Mariota of throwing in the towel despite things not clicking as fans would have liked. The Washington Commanders quarterback kept fighting right until the end, but it wasn't enough.
This determination even got the Commanders back to within one score after a sensational throw by Mariota found wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in the end zone. He successfully converted the two-point conversion, but the signal-caller got no help from the defense.
They were nothing short of woeful throughout. The Atlanta Falcons got whatever they wanted on the ground and through the air. Mariota didn't have the firepower to keep up, and the Commanders are now sitting at 2-2 through the first month of the campaign.
As previously mentioned, Mariota was relatively low on the list of problems. His performance wasn't perfect, but he was good at making things happen. He never gave up, even when other areas of the team seemed to wave the white flag. It's a testament to his professionalism and purpose, but one man cannot do it alone.
There was too much for Mariota to overcome. That's the long and short of it, and there is a lot of soul searching needed for this season to get back on track.
Marcus Mariota is serviceable, but the Commanders desperately need Jayden Daniels
There is no doubting that Marcus Mariota is an experienced, dependable No. 2 option. But if the Commanders want to fulfill their growing expectations after a sensational first campaign under head coach Dan Quinn, they need Jayden Daniels back at the earliest possible opportunity.
Things aren't going to get any easier for the Commanders next weekend. They are traveling to face the Los Angeles Chargers, who appear to be a genuine Super Bowl contender with an NFL MVP candidate in quarterback Justin Herbert leading the way. Washington will need a significantly improved overall performance to stand any chance of coming away victorious.
Daniels reportedly has a good chance of playing. That will send Mariota back to the sidelines, but he can hold his head high. He did a decent job of holding down the fort, especially considering the absences of key personnel in the passing game. If others had matched his production, maybe the Commanders would have snatched an unlikely win from a less-than-stellar performance.
It wasn't to be. Mariota kept slinging the football right until the end, but he was always fighting a losing battle. And the sooner Daniels gets the all clear to participate, the better.