What has kept quarterback Marcus Mariota focused amid the stacked losses is remembering why he’s playing the game of football in the first place. He doesn’t think the team ever needed the metaphorical carrot of the postseason dangled in front of them as motivation to perform, and this week will prove it.
“I think first and foremost, just perspective,” Mariota said. “We play a children’s game and at the end of the day, it’s fun to be out there bringing energy and bringing positivity. That’s all that really matters at the end of the day, and I think guys will really rally around that.”
Like Mariota, Reaves has faith that, come Sunday, his team will play to the Commanders’ standard and pull out a win despite the lack of postseason incentive.
“You either love being a football player or you love playing football, it’s one of the two,” Reaves said. “If you love being a football player, it’s going to show on tape. If you love playing football, then that’s going to be evident on tape too. So, I think this locker room has a bunch of people who love playing football. So, if you have that despite the circumstances, you should get maximum effort. It’s no different if you’re 10-3 or 3-10. I think this locker room is built that way, so you’ll see and you’ll know.”
A rookie, wide receiver Jaylin Lane wasn’t a part of last year’s regular season magic or wild playoff run. It’s something he’s no doubt heard about from his teammates or watched on TV from his Virginia Tech dorm room, but the reality he faces as a player is something entirely different.
Even still, Lane understands the importance of winning out against division opponents and how it’s something the Commanders’ locker room and young core can build on for next season.
“It’s huge for us just to go out and play our division opponents hard,” Lane said. “To go out and get these wins, it will be huge for us into the offseason and into the next year.”