Jayden Daniels got hurt, so Marcus Mariota cooked the Panthers defense for a 92 yard scoring drive

Washington's backup quarterback looked like Steve Young facing a hopeless, hapless Carolina defense.

Tim Weaver | 1 Hour Ago

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 20: Marcus Mariota #18 of the Washington Commanders warms up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at FedExField on October 20, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. / (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

"Guys, we suck." So Charles Barkley told his NBA brethren after the Monstars had stolen their talents to prepare for their pickup game against Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny, and the rest of the Looney Tunes. The Carolina Panthers' 2024 season is getting pretty looney, so it's an appropriate quote for a team that may or may not have had any talents to be taken by aliens in the first place, but either way they're getting demolished by the Washington Commanders.

At halftime the score is 27-0, and they're not even losing to rookie phenom Jayden Daniels, anymore. In the second quarter, Daniels went to the sidelines and is currently out dealing with a rib injury. So, the Commanders put in their backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who immediately rose his game to a level somewhere near Steve Young in his prime. Or maybe he was just facing the worst scoring defense in the history of the NFL.

Either way, Mariota cooked. Specifically, he cooked up a 92-yard scoring drive against the Panthers to finish out the first half. Along the way, he got the Panthers to jump on a hard count and he finished them off with this dart to tight end Zach Ertz in the end zone.

Marcus Mariota scores on Panthers

Do not adjust your screen. It is 2024 and Marcus Mariota just threw a TD to Zach Ertz. pic.twitter.com/MfvVypWX5U
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 20, 2024

On the other side of things, Andy Dalton has thrown two interceptions and running back Chuba Hubbard is averaging 2.1 yards per carry on the ground.

Every game is unique, but odds are every time they face a good team like this, the dynamic is going to be roughly the same as this. Just 30 minutes and then 10 more games to go.