Raiders @ Commanders
Final Score: Commanders 41, Raiders 24
Writer: Jay Felicio (@GMenJay on X/Twitter)
A Deebo Samuel opening kickoff return of 69 yards foreshadowed the Commanders’ complete control of the game from start to finish. Don’t pay too much attention to the deceiving final score; nearly all of the Raiders’ offensive output came after Jaylin Lane’s 90-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the 3rd quarter. The box score may not look all that bad for the Raiders, but two of their three touchdowns came in the fourth quarter with the game well out of reach.
Three Up
- Tre Tucker – Caught three touchdowns in easily the best game of his career.
- Marcus Mariota -Provided a solid performance for the Commanders and fantasy managers alike while filling in for Jayden Daniels.
- Geno Smith – Garbage time points count just the same in fantasy football.
Three Down
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt – No Brian Robinson. No Austin Ekeler. Still fails to lead the team in carries.
- Ashton Jeanty – Constantly hit in the backfield and given no room to run.
- Brock Bowers – It’s time to talk about Bowers’ “elite” fantasy status.
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Geno Smith: 19/29, 289 Yards, 3 TDs, 2PC
To be fair to Geno Smith, the guy barely had enough time to breathe, let alone throw passes. The Commanders sacked Smith five times and pressured him the entire game. On a 3rd and 9 in the first quarter, pressure forced Smith to get rid of the ball just quickly while targeting Brock Bowers in the endzone. If the play had slightly more time to develop, Bowers may have been able to come down with the touchdown. Geno didn’t throw an interception, but he should have been picked off at the end of the 1st quarter. Two Washington defenders collided as the batted ball floated to the ground, just out of their reach. Smith did not look good, even with the few drop backs he was given time to throw; he was constantly off target. Overthrow. Underthrow. Behind the receiver, you name it.
Notes
- Two of Smith’s three touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter.
Missed Opportunities
- On a 3rd and 9 in the first quarter, pressure forced Smith to get rid of the ball just quickly while targeting Brock Bowers in the endzone. If the play had slighly more time to develop, Bowers may have been able to come down with the touchdown.
Running Back
Ashton Jeanty: 17 Carries, 63 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, -3 Yards
Speaking of getting nothing to work with, Ashton Jeanty was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage nearly every time he had the ball in his hands. On the bright side, it was nice to see him come close to 20 carries after just 11 last week. Jeanty showed flashes of explosiveness when given just a semblance of a running lane. He should continue to get fed, but until the offensive line starts to play better, Jeanty is going to struggle to put up anything more than low-end RB2 numbers.
Zamir White: 5 Carries, 19 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Nothing more than Jeanty’s backup.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tre Tucker: 10 Targets, 7 Receptions, 67 Yards, 3 TDs
The lone bright spot of an abysmal Raiders offense, Tre Tucker set career highs in receptions and receiving yards. Tucker turned nine targets into eight catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. He was the only Raiders receiver to do much of anything, and was Smith’s go-to for the majority of the game, even if two of his three touchdowns came in the fourth quarter. He blew past the Commanders’ secondary for his wide-open third touchdown, with Washington basically going through the motions.
Jakobi Meyers: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 63 Yards
Most of Jakobi Meyers‘ production came on the first offensive snap for the Raiders, with Smith rolling right to connect with him on a 45-yard catch. Meyers would see just three more targets the rest of the game, coming down with two of them for 18 yards. It was his first game under double-digit targets this season.
Dont’e Thornton: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 29 Yards
You can nearly copy and paste Dont’e Thornton‘s stat line over from week to week: four targets, a catch or two, and 20-40ish yards. Thornton has the athleticism and explosiveness to become a viable fantasy option, but he’s not yet a regular part of this offense.
Jack Bech: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Made the most of his lone target with a toe tap 10-yard catch to convert a third and nine.
Brock Bowers: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 38 Yards, 2-PT Conversion
Considering garbage time and Michael Mayer missing most of the game due to a concussion, Brock Bowers‘ stat line is a big-time bummer. He made the play he was supposed to when he threw the ball, but the highlight of his day was a two-point conversion. Bowers remains one of the best tight ends in the league, but he can’t be counted on as the elite option he was last season until the Raiders’ offense shows some signs of life.
Missed Opportunities
- Lost a reception on an ineligible man downfield penalty.
- Could have had a touchdown reception in the first had Geno Smith not been pressured to throw the ball a little too early.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Marcus Mariota: 15/21, 207 Yards, 1 TD, 2 Pt Conversion | 6 Carries, 40 Yards 1TD, 1 Fumble Lost
Anybody watching this game saw exactly why Marcus Mariota is a backup in the NFL. Granted, he’s among the best backups in the league, but he’ll have flashes of brilliance followed up with foolishness.
Marcus Mariota loses the football and the Raiders end up with it! 👀
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/x8dPu7iieg
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 21, 2025
Obviously, Mariota didn’t play flawlessly, but he did exactly what was asked of him and mostly excelled both through the air and on the ground. The Commanders played to Mariota’s strengths with a fair amount of read option and play action. Washington’s first touchdown came on a third down run from Mariota, who made a savvy play rushing right up the middle when nothing was there on the drop back.
Missed Opportunities
- Nearly connected with Jaylin Lane for a 20-yard touchdown.
- Coughed up a fumble after a long rushing play.
Running Back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt: 8 Carries, 26 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Chris Rodriguez: 11 Carries, 39 Yards
Jeremy McNichols: 4 Carries, 78 Yards, 1 TD
The dreams of Jacory Croskey-Merritt taking over this backfield with Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler out of the way were put on pause for at least another week, and likely more. Chris Rodriguez led the way with 11 carries and handled almost all the work on the team’s first two drives. Rodriguez had some impressive runs and made defenders miss, but totaled just 39 yards. He had the first two carries inside the 10, but wasn’t able to do much of anything with them. “Bill” had one of the backfield’s rushing touchdowns, but failed to convert from the one two touches prior, and overall didn’t do anything to impress. Jeremy McNichols toted the rock four times, breaking multiple tackles and then outrunning the Raiders’ defense for a 60-yard touchdown on his first carry.
CAN'T STOP @JeremyMcNichols!!!
📺 #LVvsWAS FOX pic.twitter.com/oVL6AKg0Y7
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 21, 2025
None of the Washington running backs stood out, and I expect the unfortunate committee to continue. I have a feeling the commanders’ backfield is going to be a fantasy football headache for the foreseeable future.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Terry McLaurin: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 74 Yards
The slow start to the season continues for Terry McLaurin, despite a season-best 74 receiving yards. He had a touchdown catch overturned and was called down at the one, accumulating 56 of his 74 yards on a single catch. McLaurin left the game early with a quad injury, but it may have been a precaution with the game already out of reach.
Missed Opportunities
- Marcus Mariota just barely underthrew McLaurin on their 56-yard connection that was nearly a touchdown. McLaurin had to slow down just enough to give the Raiders’ secondary the chance to stop him short of the goal line. A better throw would have been a guaranteed TD.
Like this post if you agree that the officials robbed Terry McLaurin of a TD pic.twitter.com/eFbTAmNNdb
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) September 21, 2025
Deebo Samuel: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 11 Yards | 3 Carries, 18 Yards
After seeing 18 targets over the first two games, Deebo Samuel was targeted just three times in Week 3, two of which came behind the line of scrimmage. Neither he nor McLaurin played much of the fourth quarter, and the game was in control most of the afternoon, so there isn’t any concern for Samuel’s rest of the season outlook.
Luke McCaffrey: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 56 Yards, TD
With McLaurin and Samuel off the field late in the game, Luke McCaffrey got some time to shine. He made the most of his opportunity, outrunning the Raiders’ secondary for a 43-yard touchdown catch with just over two minutes left in the game.
Zach Ertz: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 38 Yards
Ertz wasn’t asked to do much but came down with all three of his targets.