Marcus Mariota is playing more than anyone envisaged this season. Superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels' knee sprain, hamstring strain, and dislocated elbow have stunted the player and the Washington Commanders. But they are fortunate to have such a capable understudy to step up.
Things didn't go well for the Commanders in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions, but Mariota played pretty well. It was nowhere near enough to offset the defensive failings, but the signal-caller was way down the laundry list of problems head coach Dan Quinn had to deal with.
Mariota got the start once again as Washington traveled to Madrid, Spain, for an international game against the Miami Dolphins. They are also struggling to meet offseason expectations, though their impressive victory over the Buffalo Bills showed the players are still fighting for under-fire head coach Mike McDaniel.
Playing abroad added an extra sense of festivity to a game between two underachievers. However, gaining positive momentum was Washington's only objective to end its concerning slump.
The former Oregon standout was going to have a massive say in proceedings. As it turned out, Mariota couldn't come through as the Commanders suffered another demoralizing overtime loss on the road.
With this in mind, here are five observations from Mariota's performance at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Major observations from Marcus Mariota's performance against the Dolphins
Marcus Mariota's early poise
There was a lot to like about the way Marcus Mariota started this game. He brought experience and poise into the pressure cooker, which allowed the Washington Commanders to find an early rhythm. Things were moving fluently for the offense, which enabled the ground game to get going and the signal-caller to make some noise in the passing game.
Mariota has been around the game a long time. He knows how to raise the tempo and read defensive alignments effectively pre-snap. His communication at the line of scrimmage was first-class, and he also managed to complete his first seven passes of the contest for good measure.
Sloppy individual mistakes saw two encouraging drives come to an abrupt halt, but that doesn't detract from how impressive Mariota was over the opening exchanges. His timing was on point, which settled everyone down. Washington's defense took some time to find its groove, but at least its man under center was composed and ready to hit the ground running.
While Mariota doesn't bring the same dynamism as Jayden Daniels, his athleticism and accuracy make him one of the more reliable backups around. And his eye-catching start represented a solid platform from which to build.