LANDOVER, Md. – While the one-sided scoreboard was beautiful, it wasn’t the main story.

The surging Washington Commanders dominated in all three phases for a 40-7 thrashing of the dismal Carolina Panthers. They continued their streak of consistent, high-effort performances, turning months of messages from coach Dan Quinn into the desired standard. That would be the key takeaway any other time, just not when the injured Jayden Daniels is a bystander.

The rookie quarterback sensation left Sunday’s game at Northwest Stadium after Washington’s first offensive drive following a rib injury. Backup Marcus Mariota came in and delivered the goods as the NFC East leaders improved to 5-2, eclipsing last season’s win total with the triumph. Mariota could have flown the team to the moon and back, and concerns about the franchise’s shining star would still outweigh everything else.

Before anyone starts hyperventilating, Daniels seems fine. Quinn had no official update to offer after the match other than to say the league leaders in completion percentage would undergo tests on Monday. Daniels spent the rest of the first half in the locker room, but rejoined his teammates after halftime, wearing a team-colored tracksuit, a wide smile and his signature relaxed vibe despite all the pain.

“We have no idea (about the status of the injury), but I think he was in good spirits,” said Mariota, a been-there, done-that mentor for the 23-year-old. “Just watch him, see how he’s doing, and we’ll take it day by day.”

GO DEEPER

The biggest play for the Commanders on Sunday was keeping the injured Jayden Daniels off the field

That step-by-step approach has worked well for Washington this season. Based on Daniels, the commanders have maintained a balanced mentality.

They fought back from a 30-23 loss at Super Bowl contender Baltimore last week without any sense of annoyance after losing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen for the season with a pectoral injury and fellow lineman Dorance Armstrong (rib) for at least a week.

Washington also looked no further than the Panthers (1-6). Instead, the Commanders won their third game this season by at least 21 points. Starting with edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr.’s interception return. of 67 yards for a touchdown 4:46 into the game, it was over early. The 27-0 halftime score was Washington’s largest lead after one half since a 28-point margin against Dallas on December 18, 2005.

“The central theme of our program is competing,” Quinn said. “Sometimes it’s really a battle with yourself to see how good you can become. And at other times, like now and this week, can we fight to become stronger, find ways to get better, and recognize that we have work to do?

“Although this match was Carolina, we told as much about ourselves as possible during the week of preparation. We really wanted to dive into ourselves and find the next gear.”

DANTE FOWLER JR. CHOOSE-6!

📺: #CARvsWAS on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/JTuzB4p55Q

—NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

Washington’s offenses under coordinator Kliff Kingsbury continued to run at a phenomenal pace. The Commanders outgained the Panthers 421-180 in yardage, with 214 on the ground and more than doubling Carolina in first downs (26 to 10). Such a production seemed unlikely without Daniels.

Neither Quinn nor teammates could pinpoint when the dual-threat quarterback started hurting. Daniels zoomed past defenders for a 46-yard run but was turned over after a clean tackle. The rookie stayed in the game and had two more carries. On his final run, wide receiver Dyami Brown recognized Daniels’ discomfort when he “liked a slow fall to the ground” at the Carolina 8-yard line instead of fighting for extra yards.

Washington capped the drive with a 23-yard field goal, the first of four by kicker Austin Seibert. Daniels entered the blue medical tent on the sideline as Washington stood on defense. When Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton threw his second interception, a much-needed confidence boost for cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Daniels tried to return to the game.

The coaches saw enough before Daniels threw practice passes. Mariota came in and Daniels went to the locker room with the Commanders leading 10-0. He and rookie tackle Brandon Coleman (concussion) were ruled out after halftime. Daniels completed his two pass attempts for 6 yards, with another 50 yards on the ground. Injured players are no longer available to the media after the match.

“I’m not going to speculate on his injury, but he’s a tough guy,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “I know he will do everything he can to be ready for next week.”

Mariota, who was out the first four weeks with a pectoral injury, entered the game after attempting three passes of minus-2 yards late in Washington’s 34-13 loss to Cleveland in Week 5. It took him a few reps before he found his groove. The veteran completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdown passes, ahead of Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott. McLaurin led Washington with six receptions for 98 yards.

“Shout out to Marcus for coming in and being ready,” McLaurin said. ‘I didn’t expect anything else from him. He’s been a leader since he got here. He helped Jayden get started, and we really built some camaraderie with him.”

The 12-yard touchdown for Ertz ended an eight-play, 92-yard drive that started with 2:22 remaining in the first half. Washington crossed midfield on consecutive McLaurin receptions combined for 33 yards.

End the half with a tuddy

📺 #CARvsWAS CBSpic.twitter.com/FGmT3yACiG

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 20, 2024

“My favorite part of the game was when we went down and scored in a two-minute drive. “If you don’t have a starting quarterback but you’re still performing at a high level, I think that’s the standard we’ve set for our offense,” McLaurin said.

Considering they smothered Carolina from the jump, Washington’s defenders might quibble over the idea of ​​a favorite part. The Panthers’ first points came on running back Chuba Hubbard’s 4-yard touchdown run with 11:38 remaining. Carolina’s 95 rushing yards were the fewest of any Washington opponent this year.

After a two-sack game in Baltimore, Fowler defined the next-man-up ethos with his first career pick, a sack and one tackle for loss. No Washington player has reached these numbers in a game since defensive lineman Dan Wilkinson in Week 8 of the 1999 season.

“I like the way we’re going,” said Fowler, a longtime player under Quinn. “That man-down, next-man-up mentality. But it was just camaraderie and brotherhood that we got. I could just play for each other. I love this team very much. I like the way we play for each other.”

There is no end in sight to this sense of brotherhood. That spirit is what Washington is pursuing in the long term. Quinn and veteran players established a “Commanders Standard” before the rookies arrived: how to practice, handle a walk-through and be professionals, and so on, along with “constantly looking to improve.” That explains a lot of this shocking wave. This also applies to Daniëls.

The Commanders won this game without their prized rookie. That won’t be so easy if he misses time. The No. 2 pick in April’s NFL Draft represents hope for a franchise largely unfamiliar with such optimism this century.

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On Sunday, Washington honored Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green with a number-retirement ceremony. Arguably the greatest player in franchise history spoke to a crowd before the game about the gesture, especially since he “had no relationship with the team for years” before the franchise sale in 2023. The two-time Super Bowl champion reflected on his storied career and the need to refocus on this new version of Washington.

“Let’s come together and be fans, supporters and family of the next generation of Washington Commanders,” Green said.

The Commanders gave the ex-Washington star cornerback and others in attendance plenty of reason to smile, even though the main attraction saw his teammates shine.

(Photo: Nick Wass / Associated Press)