Commanders bury Raiders early, lean on Daniels–McLaurin to win 38–21

LANDOVER, MD - Washington raced out to 21 first-quarter points and never trailed, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 38-21 behind a near-flawless night from quarterback Jayden Daniels and star wideout Terry McLaurin. The result pushes Washington back in the win column while Max Farias' Raiders fall to 1-2.

Game Recap

Daniels was hyper-efficient, going 23-of-27 for 305 yards and two touchdowns (138.4 rating), and he added a 2-yard rushing score. He repeatedly found McLaurin, who finished with 7 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns, including strikes of 38 and 2 yards as Washington built a 21-7 lead in the opening quarter.

Washington's ground game provided the knockout blows. Running back Austin Ekeler ripped off 124 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, punctuating drives in the first and fourth quarters. Kicker Matt Gay added a late 22-yard field goal to close out the scoring.

For Las Vegas, Geno Smith piled up 378 yards and two touchdowns but threw four interceptions that short-circuited promising drives. Raiders rookie back Ashton Jeanty punched in a 3-yard score, while receivers Tre Tucker and Brock Bowers hauled in touchdown passes from Smith.

How It Happened

Washington blitzed the Raiders with three first-quarter touchdowns - the two Daniels-to-McLaurin connections sandwiched around Ekeler's 33-yard burst - to seize control at 21-7. The Raiders twice closed within a score (28-21 late in the third after Bowers' 12-yard TD), but Ekeler's fourth-quarter 13-yard run and Gay's kick iced it.

Key Stats

• Jayden Daniels (WAS): 23/27, 305 yards, 2 TD; 1 rush TD

• Terry McLaurin (WAS): 7 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD

• Austin Ekeler (WAS): 17 carries, 124 yards, 2 TD

• Matt Gay (WAS): 1/1 FG, long 22; 5/5 XP

• Geno Smith (LV): 29/40, 378 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT

• Tre Tucker (LV): 6 receptions, 89 yards, 1 TD

• Brock Bowers (LV): 4 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD

• Jakobi Meyers (LV): 9 receptions, 115 yards

• Ashton Jeanty (LV): 14 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD

Washington picked off Smith four times and controlled key downs (6-of-10 on third). Las Vegas actually outgained Washington in total yards, 582-459, but turnovers proved decisive.

Quotes

"We started fast and set the tone," Daniels said. "When Terry [McLaurin] is winning his matchups like that, everything opens up."

Raiders coach Max Farias lamented the turnovers: "You can't give a team like that extra chances. Geno battled, but we've got to protect the ball."

Up Next

The Raiders will return home in Week 4 to take on the Chicago Bears, looking to rebound in front of their home crowd. Meanwhile, the Commanders will hit the road for a tough matchup against coach Chuck Davis and the Atlanta Falcons, an early NFC clash that could carry weight in the playoff picture.