Geno and the gang head across the country to the Nation’s capital. Raiders/Commanders coming to you live from Northwest Stadium in Maryland.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Northwest Stadium; Landover, Maryland
- Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2025
- Kickoff: 1:00 PM EST
Quarterback Matchup
- Las Vegas Raiders: Geno Smith (10-7; 2024 – 254.1 YPG | 21 TD | 15 INT)
- Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels (12-5; 2024 – 209.9 YPG | 25 TD | 9 INT)
Betting Odds
Odds via BetOnline, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Sophomore Slump?
It’s almost cliché at this point, the sophomore slump with quarterbacks entering year two as the primary starter for their team. We saw C.J. Stroud experience something similar last year, regressing in pass yards, touchdowns and only seeing an increase in the interception department. With Jayden Daniels, we’re just two games into his second season and he’s got the Commanders off to a 1-1 start. Daniels has recorded 433 yards threw the air, three touchdowns and is completing 60% of his passes.
Last week Daniels faced one of the toughest defenses in the league, Green Bay. He was held to just 200 yards through the air and 17 yards on the ground. He did come away with two touchdown passes, both coming in the fourth quarter. Daniels did sustain a left knee sprain in their Week 2 loss and his status remains questionable for Sunday. Head Coach Dan Quinn has already said Daniels won’t practice until Friday, at the earlier. Should Daniels not be ready to go, the Commanders will turn to 31-year old Marcus Mariota.
The Commanders will be without starting running back Austin Ekeler for the remainder of the year due to a torn achilles. The 30-year old back was entering his 10th season in the league and second with this Commanders team. Washington will now turn to rookie back, Jacory Croskey-Merritt; also known as Bill.
The rookie came out of the gates firing, recording 82 yards on just 10 carries in his debut against the Giants. Last year against the Packers front seven it was a little bit tougher. He finished the day with just four carries for 17 yards and no receptions.
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
The Raiders are 1-1 to start the year and we’ve already seen the best version of Geno Smith and the absolute worst version of Geno Smith. In Week 1 we saw Smith come out and throw the ball 34 times, complete 71% of his passes, throw for 362 yards and one touchdown. He did also have an interception but walked away with the win.
In Week 2, we saw the complete opposite. Smith threw the ball 43 times, completed just 56% of his passes and threw THREE interceptions. The Raiders lost 20-9 and failed to record a touchdown in the divisional matchup with the Chargers. However, that was the Chargers. Los Angeles has the #2 overall defense this year, per PFF rankings. They’ve also got the #1 coverage grade and are giving up just 15 points per game.
This week the Raiders face off with the 2nd worst pass defense in the league, ranking 31st in coverage grade and rank 26th in overal defensive grade. Jordan Love just threw for two touchdowns, 292 yards and completed 61.3% of his passes against this Commanders defense.
Sunday’s Best Bets
Jakobi Meyers o64.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
If there’s one thing I learned from Geno’s performance against the Chargers it’s that even if Meyers is in triple coverage, Geno’s going to try and get him the ball.
Through the Raiders firs two games this year, Meyers is seeing a 29% target share; recording 22 targets, 14 receptions for 165 yards and no touchdowns. He leads the Raiders in routes run, yards after the catch and sits 2nd in average depth of target. Only 15 of the 22 targets he’s seen this year have been deemed ‘catchable’ and he’s pulled in 14 of those targets. He’s got just one drop on the year and he’s taking 55% of his offensive snaps from the slot, a spot the Commanders have had trouble containing so far this year.
The Commanders gave up 126 yards to slot receivers last week against Green Bay and allowed Wan’Dale Robinson to catch six of eight targets for 55 yards in Week 1. The Commanders secondary has been terrible this year and look for Meyers to take advantage this Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders +3.5 (-110)
I’m getting a bad line here but with the Jayden Daniels news still up in the air, I’m locking it in. Let’s take a second and talk about this Raiders defense. In two games so far this year, they’ve given up just 33 points and currently rank 4th in rush yards allowed. The front seven for this Raiders team had been elite and a lot of it has to do with Devin White.
The former Buccaneer and former 1st round pick leads the Raiders in tackles this year with 19 combined tackles, two tackles for a loss and has a 21.8% win rate when rushing the quarterback. Former Seahawk Jamal Adams is also now with the Raiders, recording a 28.6% win rate when rushing the quarterback this year and ranks #1 in pass rush grade amongst all linebackers this year.
The Raiders have generated six sacks so far this year and now matchup with a Commanders offensive line that’s allowed seven sacks this year. Rookie Josh Conerly Jr. struggled last week, allowing nine pressures and giving up three sacks. This week Conerly Jr. will line up against one of the scariest defensive ends in football, Maxx Crosby.
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