Shorthanded Commanders fall to Falcons: Instant analysis from from 34-27 loss

The Washington Commanders (2-2) entered Sunday's game extremely shorthanded on offense, with quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin among those sidelined. Unfortunately, it wasn't Washington's offense that was the problem in a 34-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Washington's defense surrendered 435 total yards, allowing Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was struggling entering Week 4, to have his best game. Penix completed 20 of 26 passes for 313 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown and also caught four passes for 106 yards.

Marcus Mariota, who started for the second straight week in place of Daniels, completed 16 of 27 passes for 156 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception.

Final score: Falcons 34, Commanders 27

Numbers to know

• 147: Washington rushed for 147 yards, with Chris Rodriguez Jr. leading the way with 59 yards on seven carries. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt finished with 47 yards on seven attempts.
• 1: Four games in, and the Commanders forced their first turnover. Cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepted Penix in the third quarter. Unfortunately for Washington, it ended with a field goal.
• 2: The Commanders' defense forced only two punts, as Atlanta's offense had its way with their defense.
• 10: Bobby Wagner had 10 tackles. It's the fourth straight game with 10 tackles or more for Wagner, who rarely comes off the field at 35. The story of this game was all of Washington's missed tackles.
• 1/8: The Commanders were often behind the chains early due to penalties and finished the game converting only one of their eight third-down attempts. They were successful on both fourth-down conversions.

It was over when.....

Mariota led the Commanders on an impressive scoring drive, finding Deebo Samuel on a fourth-and-3 to make it a 31-22 game. Head coach Dan Quinn went for the 2-point conversion, and it was successful. It was a 31-24 game with under 10 minutes remaining. All the Commanders needed was one stop to give Mariota a chance to tie it or potentially win the game. The Falcons responded with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that took over six minutes off the clock. It ended with a field goal to make it a two-score game with two minutes remaining. That was the end for the Commanders.

3 stars of the game

• QB Marcus Mariota: 16/27, 156 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 20 rushing yards
• WR Deebo Samuel: Six catches, 72 yards, one touchdown, three carries, nine yards
• WR Luke McCaffrey: Two catches, 21 yards, one touchdown, 199 kick return yards, averaged 33 yards per return

What's next?

The Washington Commanders, now 0-2 on the road, are back on the road next week. And it's a long trip, as the Commanders face the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers are coming off their first loss, a heartbreaker to the winless New York Giants. Los Angeles, like Washington, is dealing with some key injuries. The Commanders do expect to have Jayden Daniels back under center next week.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Instant analysis from 34-27 loss to Falcons