The Las Vegas Raiders and the fan base received bulletin material from Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris.
Both teams are coming off losses in Week 2 and are looking for bounce-back wins to get back over .500. For the Raiders, quarterback Geno Smith will want to limit the turnovers, and the run game needs to get going.
While Las Vegas knows what they need to do, they could also put up the message that Harris said pregame if they need any extra motivation throughout the game.
“Look, I think this is one, we should win this,” Harris told NFL Network’s Steve Wyche. “Marcus has been around the NFL lockout, very respected quarterback, team supports him and respects, you know, we’re going to be 2-1 after this game.”
It will be interesting to see if the Commanders can back up the words from their owner and beat the Raiders in Week 3.
Raiders Are Prepared for Commanders
In the days leading up to their matchup with the Raiders, Washington kept things cautious regarding Jayden Daniels’ status. The Commanders weren’t about to push him back too soon, which opened the door for Marcus Mariota to step in against his former team. Mariota spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Silver and Black, appearing in 11 games.
With uncertainty lingering over which quarterback they’d face, the Raiders didn’t leave anything to chance. Head coach Pete Carroll explained that the team spent the week preparing for Mariota and Daniels.
“We’ve talked about both guys playing all week long and we’ve looked at film of both guys all week long,” Carroll told reporters on September 19. “That’s what they’re dealing with. We have to get out there and get our game right and make sure everybody’s head is in the right direction while we play a great football game.
“This is a winning football club and, you know, [Dan Quinn] turned it around in no time. He had a great season last year, so they have a winning mentality and will be tough at home. That’s all we need to do—go play our game. That’s the challenge.”
Raiders Know What Marcus Mariota Will Bring
Carroll noted that the Commanders’ offense won’t look much different with Mariota stepping in for Daniels. He admitted Daniels is the better athlete and overall player, but said the similarities between the two quarterbacks meant Las Vegas didn’t have to make major adjustments to its defensive plan.
“They looked very similar,” Carroll added. “They did the same place, same style. He’s a runner, you know. He’s run all through his career. Jaden is a fantastic all-around athlete.
“Well, so is Marcus Mariota, and we would think Marcus would do all of the same stuff as we’ve seen on film—from throwing the ball down the field to keeping it and all the rest, and scrambling, all of that.”
The Silver and Black’s defense entered the 2025 season with plenty of questions, yet they haven’t surrendered more than 20 points in any game so far. Las Vegas will aim to keep that streak alive against Washington.
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