The Washington Commanders (2-2) head west in Week 5 to face the Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) in search of their first road win this season. Both teams enter this weekend with multiple injury concerns. The good news for Washington is that quarterback Jayden Daniels will be back under center this weekend after missing two games with a knee injury.

The Commanders will be without Terry McLaurin again. McLaurin was ruled out on Thursday with a quad injury and didn’t make the trip. The same goes for fellow wide receiver Noah Brown, who’ll miss his third game with knee and groin injuries. Making matters worse, Deebo Samuel did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday, but made the trip.

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So, Daniels could have his hands full in his first game since Week 2. The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was off to a slow start in the first two games. However, Daniels’s slow start wasn’t exactly struggling; he just didn’t look like the 2024 version of himself.

The Commanders will have tight end John Bates back this weekend, which is terrific news for an already productive running game.

Washington will need Daniels and much more against a stout Chargers defense. Los Angeles is ranked No. 3 in total defense, No. 5 in pass defense, but No. 17 in run defense. That lines up well with the Commanders’ strengths. Washington is ranked No. 2 in the NFL in rushing offense. Another area where the Chargers can be exploited is quarterback runs.

In Week 1, Patrick Mahomes rushed for 57 yards on six carries, with a touchdown. Geno Smith rushed for 20 yards on five attempts in Week 2, Bo Nix ran for 33 yards on eight carries in Week 3, and rookie Jaxson Dart couldn’t throw the ball last week, but ran for 54 yards and a touchdown — on 10 rushes.

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Now, L.A. gets Jayden Daniels. The concern here is how much Daniels will test that knee. Will he be limited at all? Washington has said they wouldn’t play Daniels if he were at risk. He’s been fully cleared.

The Chargers aren’t getting beaten on designed quarterback runs. Daniels is extremely dangerous when he takes off on scrambles. With injury concerns at receiver, Daniels’ ability to make plays with his legs and the Chargers’ ability or inability to limit him could decide the game.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels can expose the Chargers here