Week 3 Takeaways - Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders

By: Sam Myer 9/21/2025

The Washington Commanders hosted the Las Vegas Raiders in week three and had a much needed return to form in their 41-24 win. It was a dominating performance in all three phases, as the Commanders rushed for 201 yards, sacked Geno Smith five times, and returned a punt for a touchdown. With six starters missing this game due to injury, the Commanders received big performances from up and down roster. Sunday put the depth of this roster on full display, which is something Dan Quinn and Adam Peters have emphasized all offseason. It’s a good thing they took the “70-man roster” mentality this offseason as the bottom of the roster showed up in a big way in week three.

Kliff Kingsbury was the biggest winner of the day, as Washingtons offense was firing on all cylinders putting up 34 points on offense. The return of the running game helped the passing game finally find its rhythm as the team eclipsed 400 yards of offense for the second time this season. This was also the second time in three weeks that Washington has had over 200 yards rushing as a team. Jeremy McNichols had the big run of the day, when he broke two tackles then busted a 60-yard touchdown run. Marcus Mariota also had a good day on the ground with an additional 40 yards on six carries. This efficiency on the ground led the passing game to finally open up for the wide receivers.

Terry McLaurin returned to the spotlight in the passing game leading the team in targets, receptions, and yards. His big play of the day was a 56-yard catch and run where he was, once again, brought down at the one-yard line. It was heavily debated on the broadcast whether or not he rolled off the defender into the end-zone; however, Dan Quinn elected to keep the challenge flag in his pocket. McLaurin passed Bobby Mitchell for 5^th on the all-time receiving list for the franchise. Additionally, Luke McCaffery had his long awaited first career touchdown as he took a crossing route 43 yards to the house. Josh Conerly Jr. also had an improved performance against Maxx Crosby today, which is a big relief after shaky starts in the first two weeks.

The defensive line showed up in a big way for the third straight game, sacking Geno Smith five times and holding Ashton Jeanty to 63 yards on 17 carries. Dorance Armstrong got his third sack of the season today and was joined by Javonte Jean-Baptiste, Von Miller, and two sacks for Bobby Wagner. Washington also had 8 tackles for loss and 8 QB hits as their defensive line dominated the Raiders. We’ll have a keen eye on the defensive front for the Commanders as the season progresses due to their hot start. The Raiders and Giants both have below-average offensive line units in the NFL, but the Commanders defensive line have certainly looked to be the best unit on the team.

Finally, the return game showed up in a big way in week three as Deebo Samuel took the opening kickoff for almost 70 yards to set up the opening drive touchdown. Additionally, rookie Jaylin Lane had the biggest play of the day taking a punt 90 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. As for the kicking game, it was an up and down game for Matt Gay. He missed a 37-yarder in the first quarter and did not hide his frustration on the sideline. Gay bounced back though, making all the rest of his kicks including 46 and 56-yard field goals in the second quarter. At this time, the team is not expected to bring in another kicker to compete with Gay despite swirling online chatter that recently cut Younghoe Koo could find his way onto the roster.

While the Commanders had a thoroughly dominating performance on Sunday, there is much doubt moving forward due to all the injuries that have piled up in the first three weeks of the season. Six starters from week two were already out for the game against the Raiders and four more exited the game early due to injury on Sunday. Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin left the game in the third quarter due to a quad injury, but the severity is currently unknown. He was seen jogging down the sideline in the 4th quarter to retrieve the ball from Luke McCafferys first career touchdown, so his exited could've purely been a precaution. However, the biggest hits came in the secondary where three more starters left the game with injuries. Safety Will Harris will miss significant time after breaking his fibula in Sunday’s win over the Raiders. Finally, both starting outside cornerbacks left the game in third quarter. Marshon Lattimore left the game to be evaluated for a concussion and Trey Amos suffered a calf injury. Both of their status’ are unclear the week four trip to Atlanta.

All in all, it was a great all-around performance from all three phases that Washington desperately needed. While the injuries are starting to take a significant toll, the rest of the roster has stepped up and answered the call so far. Washington will travel to Atlanta in week four to build on this dominating win.