Jaylin Lane returned a punt 90 yards for a score, Jeremy McNichols had a 60-yard touchdown run and the Washington Commanders beat the visiting Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 on Sunday in Landover, Md.
Washington’s Marcus Mariota, filling in for injured quarterback Jayden Daniels, completed 15 of 21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score. Terry McLaurin caught three passes for 74 yards as the Commanders (2-1) bounced back from a loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The Commanders rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
Tre Tucker caught eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders (1-2) lost their second straight. Geno Smith completed 19 of 29 passes for 289 yards and three scores.
Leading 20-10 early in the third quarter, the Commanders forced a Raiders punt. Lane fielded the kick at his 10, went up the middle, eluded punter AJ Cole at midfield and raced down the right sideline for the score and a 27-10 lead.
After another Raiders punt, Mariota threw a bomb to McLaurin for 57 yards and Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored from the 1 to make it 34-10 with 3:03 left in the in third.
Smith hit Tucker for a 10-yard touchdown with 12:57 left in the game but the two-point try failed and Las Vegas trailed 34-16.
The combination struck again for a 61-yard score with 3:42 left and the two-point conversion made it 34-24, but Mariota hit Luke McCaffrey for a 43-yard score with 2:05 remaining to ice it.
The Commanders took an early 7-0 lead. Deebo Samuel ran back the opening kick 69 yards to the Raiders’ 27. Five plays later, Mariota scored from the 2.
The teams traded field goals before Smith then led the Raiders on a nine-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter. On second-and-7 from the Washington 10, Smith was forced out of the pocket, lofted a pass to Tucker in the end zone and the game was tied.
The tie did not last. On second down, McNichols went up the middle, appeared to be stopped but broke free and raced 60 yards for the go-ahead score.
Washington kicker Matt Gay hit from 56 yards out on the final play of the half to make it 20-10.
–Field Level Media
