Welcome to our Washington Commanders vs. Ravens Notebook bringing you the latest on the Week 6 showcase for rookie quarterback phenom Jayden Daniels and coach Dan Quinn's NFC East-leading team. All the NFL rumors, roster move news, key stats, practice reports and injury updates as they happen inside!
OCT 9 INJURY UPDATE The Commanders are for the moment not especially healthy at the running back spot. The Wednesday injury report includes Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) as a DNP and Austin Ekeler (heel) as limited.
Meanwhile, the other guy who does some running around for Washington, rookie QB Jayden Daniels, is gearing up for a Week 6 showdown against Baltimore and Lamar Jackson. ... but brushing off the natural comparisons.
"I don't like it when people try to compare me to Lamar,'' he said. "We're two different players. ... Appreciate everybody for who they are."
OCT. 4
JAYDEN ON FOX - Shocking the NFL with his arm and his legs as a rookie, Commanders' quarterback Jayden Daniels is reminding some of Michael Vick. The four-time Pro Bowler sat down with Daniels for an interview that will air Sunday on FOX's pregame show before Washington hosts the Cleveland Browns.
After the interview, Daniels and Vick posed for a very cool photo with Washington legend and Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams.
OCT. 3
ROBINSON QUESTIONABLE? - Another week, another round of running back injury problems for the Commanders.
It was Austin Ekeler who sat out last week's romp over the Arizona Cardinals with a concussion. Now it's Brian Robinson Jr. who appears questionable for Sunday's home game against the Browns after missing the last two days of practice with a sore knee.
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Robinson has two 100-yard rushing games and is a huge weapon in Washington's surprisingly unstoppable offense that this season has 23 scoring drives and only 19 incompletions.
Ekeler has returned to practice and would likely be the starter if Robinson can't go. Jeremy McNichols stepped up last week, rushing for 68 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals.
OCT. 2
MARIOTA MENDING? - Entering this Sunday's home game against the Cleveland Browns the Commanders are making several roster moves. Most notably, they are opening the 21-day practice window for backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. He has been on injured reserve with groin and chest injuries, and Jeff Driskell has been the No. 2 quarterback to Jayden Daniels in his absence.
Also on the mend are linebacker Jordan Magee (knee) and defensive lineman Efe Obada (leg).
Receiver/kick returner Jamison Crowder (calf) has been place on injured reserve. Olamide Zaccheaus returned punts last week in Arizona in his place.
EAT MY DUST - The Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels have set the league on fire in the opening weeks of the NFL season.
Nobody is selling more jerseys, nobody is providing more optimism, and nobody changed their team’s fortunes quicker than Daniels. But he’s doing more than propelling Washington into the next generation of quarterback play.
He’s also leaving division rivals in the dust.
Washington left the 2024 NFL Draft with its franchise quarterback... or at least that was the hope with the No. 2 overall pick. And suddenly? The Commanders now employ the NFC East’s third franchise quarterback, with him joining Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott and Philadelphia Eagles signal caller Jalen Hurts. ... and we might say the Daniels arrow is pointing up in ways that make him potentially the most special of the three.
In fact, there are national media outlets already touting Daniels as being the "best of the three.'' ... which is amazing - and premature.
Jayden Daniels is better than Dak Prescott, who finished second in MVP voting last year and is now the highest-paid player in NFL history at $60 million APY. Let's tap the brakes for just a moment. Still ...
That view bodes well for the curse of the NFC East, barring any division champion from winning in back-to-back years. Washington, armed with its new star under center, can challenge the top of the division for the first time since 2020 and the third time in the past 10 years.
It’s early, sure. But Washington has left New York in the dust, despite years of divisional domination, and has thrust itself into contention for a home playoff game. The offense might get called simple by opponents. The Commanders, though, aren’t taking baby steps on their way to relevance.
SHOOTOUT? - The Washington Commanders are coming off a commanding 42-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals, propelling them to the top of the NFC East with a 3-1 record. In their most complete performance of the season, the Commanders’ defense held the Cardinals to just 296 total yards while their offense racked up 449 yards, balancing both the run (216 yards) and pass (233 yards).
The victory was a statement as the team continues to establish its presence in the NFC.
Now, Washington shifts focus to the struggling Cleveland Browns. With Deshaun Watson at QB, they seem to have explosiveness ... on paper. Their reality is that they are 1-3 - though it's worth noting that Washington is "just'' a 3.5-point favorite here.
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