ASHBURN, Va. — The biggest question for both the Commanders and the Raiders entering their game Sunday was, quite simply: Will Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels play? It turns out, the answer is no.

Instead, Marcus Mariota will get his first NFL start since 2022, when he played for Atlanta.

Daniels is the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the Commanders to a surprising 12-5 record a year ago, followed by a trip to the NFC title game. He is the engine that makes their offense go. He is one of the league’s most dynamic players, a skilled passer and runner.

But he hurt his left knee against Green Bay and missed practice this week. Coach Dan Quinn declared Friday that Daniels was out and Mariota was in.

“With his — not just his maturity but his — veteran savvy, he brings a calm to our offense that I just feel really stands out. … His ability to get us in the right situations and plays,” Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin said Friday about Mariota. “But at the end of the day we know he’s a competitor, and if any of us are in that situation, we want to be out here and help the team and be able to play.”

With Daniels unable to go, both clubs will need to be prepared for Mariota.

“It’s not going to be exactly the same. But they’re both really big, dual-threat guys that can make big plays. And you have to be ready for whoever that is going to be,” Maxx Crosby, the Raiders’ star defender, said before the Daniels-Mariota news was official. “We’re preparing as if Jayden’s going to play. And then we’ll see what happens. But we’ll be ready for both.”

Both teams are 1-1, and they took similar routes to get there: a victory against a mediocre to bad opponent in the season opener, followed by a loss against an elite opponent last week (the New York Giants, then Green Bay Packers, for Washington; the New England Patriots, then Los Angeles Chargers, for Las Vegas).

“Last week, it was: ‘We’re going to the Super Bowl!’ This week: ‘Everybody’s the worst player on the planet!’” Crosby joked.

‘Bill’ gets a chance to start for Washington with Ekeler out for the season

Daniels was not the only key player for the Commanders to get hurt in Week 2 — and the offense was hit hard. Starting running back Austin Ekeler is done for the season, and wide receiver Noah Brown (groin) and tight end John Bates (groin) missed practice time this week.

On the defensive side, starting end Deatrich Wise Jr. is out of the rest of the season and cornerback Jonathan Jones went on injured reserve.

With Ekeler lost, rookie Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round pick after playing just one game in his last year in college, might get the start and should get more carries than the four he had against Green Bay. He had 10 runs for 82 yards and a touchdown against the Giants.

“I’ve still got to go out there and do my job and still earn their trust to be the starting running back. I feel like I treat it like I’m still at the bottom. I don’t think [anything] is going to change,” Croskey-Merritt said. “My work ethic still is going to stay the same. I’m just hungry.”

Geno Smith’s interceptions might give the Commanders’ defense hope

Raiders quarterback Geno Smith will try to bounce back from a poor performance, in which he not only threw a trio of interceptions but went 0-for-10 on pass attempts that traveled 10 or more yards downfield.

The thing about Smith’s turnovers — he has thrown four picks and just one TD — is that now he faces a team that does not have a single takeaway.

“A lot of it is as simple as just thinking about it,” Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner said about getting turnovers. “But we need to make it happen.”

The Raiders are waiting for first-round pick Ashton Jeanty to break through

Ashton Jeanty was the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft, and the Raiders are waiting for him to show the type of production he had at Boise State. The rookie running back is averaging 2.7 yards per carry — 81 yards on 30 rushes.

“I don’t think you draft a guy like me to not give me carries and touches,” Jeanty said, “and I’m ready for the responsibility.”

The Pete Carroll-Dan Quinn coaching connection

The two head coaches — Pete Carroll of Las Vegas and Washington’s Quinn — know each other well. Quinn was the defensive coordinator under Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks for two seasons, 2013 and 2014, both of which ended with the team in the Super Bowl.

“I love competing against people that I know,” Carroll said, “and the more I like him, the more I like to beat him.”