December 19, 2025
Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images
Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
The Eagles on Saturday won't have to worry about a double-dose of Jayden Daniels or a repeat of last year's Eagles-Commanders game at Northwest Field, when the then-rookie Commanders quarterback passed for 258 yards and five touchdowns and ran for an additional 81 yards in a 35-31 win.
Daniels' injury plagued season is over, and old friend Marcus Mariota will make the start against his former team.
Mariota is a good backup who, like Daniels, can hurt defenses with his arm and legs, but he's no threat to scorch the Eagles for five TD passes or rack up nearly 400 yards like Daniels did in last year's Week 16 upset, especially with the banged-up Commanders toting their 4-10 record and just trying to play spoiler at the season winds down.
But the Eagles aren't exactly a scoring juggernaut this season, and Mariota is just good enough in a close game to have a back-breaking scramble that could provide the Eagles with a headache if they're struggling again to separate on the score board – or even worse, if they're down.
The key for the Eagles' defense, which has really picked up the pass rush over the past five weeks, is to maintain their discipline to keep Mariota from getting outside the pocket.
Sometimes, that's easier said that done.
Mariota isn't as explosive as Daniels, but he's got quick feet and scramble savvy. This is his 11th season in the NFL, and second in Kliff Kingbury's offense, so he's seen plenty in his career and he's still adept enough to deliver some Hoodini moments – especially against the blitz, like this:
Mariota this season has rushed for 257 yards on 45 carries in just his seven starts, an average of 5.7 yards per carry. Here's what those numbers would like across 17 games compared to Daniels' rookie season.
| Carries | Yards | Avg/Carry | |
| 2025 Marcus Mariota | 109 | 624 | 5.7 |
| 2024 Jayden Daniels | 148 | 891 | 6.0 |
It's not apples to apples, but nobody would insinuate that Mariota and Daniels are equivalents as dangerous runners; still, the threat with Mariota is there enough to catch Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's attention.
"Well, I mean, we had obviously played these guys three times last year, and Marcus Mariota is very, very similar to Daniels," Fangio said. "He can run their full offense, including the gun run game. It's something we’ve got to be aware of and make sure we get handled."Mariota has run with the ball 10 times in each of his past two starts, some designed, others impromptu. Fangio, who will drop front-line players into coverage, will have the ability to spy Mariota without losing much in the pass rush.
Compared to earlier this season, Fangio is blitzing far less since the Eagles came out of the bye week, which could help his effort in keeping Mariota contained.
But the Eagles have found success over the past few weeks with a variety of pass-rush fronts and line games, including E/T and T/E stunts that have caused fits for opposing offensive lines.
Here are two examples of the Eagles getting four-man pressure against Kenny Pickett using a double-stunt concept:
Double stunt concepts are a great pass-rush strategy when you have really athletic linemen with good lateral movement and have experience rushing from the inside, like Jaelan Phillips and Brandon Graham do.
But the downside to double stunts and other line strategies, like overloads, is that they can create open gaps or break contain on the outside, and savvy running quarterbacks can anticipate them. Mariota has been sacked at least once in each of his seven starts, but never more than twice.
Here's Mariota beating a four-man rush on 3rd-and-10 when a Giants edge rusher went too far inside with his pass rush, leaving the outside abandoned.
Not only did Mariota see the broken contain, but the tight end who made the initial chip block became a blocking escort for Mariota downfield on the 11-yard gain.
"We have to pass rush as a unit, not as individuals and open up seams in between our rushers that he can step up and get through," Fangio said. "A lot of times he'll scramble up inside just as much as maybe getting outside, and you’ve got to rush as one."
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