The Washington Commanders got exactly the kind of win that can survive a long Monday morning film session: ugly in stretches, decisive in the moments that mattered. In a 33-31 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Washington snapped Seattle’s 12-game winning streak and did it despite being outgained 437-258 and losing the first-down battle 28-17. The difference came down to turnovers, and the Commanders made theirs count.
Marcus Mariota, filling in for Jayden Daniels, delivered the steady kind of outing Washington needed. He completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, and his biggest play may have come without his arm at all. Late in the fourth quarter, he picked up a third-and-seven with his legs, keeping the clock moving and helping Washington close it out.
The defense’s biggest swing came from Kain Medrano. With Seattle threatening to grab the lead late in the fourth quarter, Medrano jumped Sam Darnold’s throw, took it back 50 yards, and turned it into a touchdown that proved to be the difference in a two-point game.
Sonny Styles kept building on what’s becoming a promising stretch. He intercepted Darnold in the third quarter, setting up Terry McLaurin’s touchdown three plays later, then added a forced fumble near the goal line. Styles finished with five tackles, two passes defended, an interception, and a forced fumble.
McLaurin finally had the kind of production Washington has been waiting for. He caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, with the biggest reception coming on a 30-yard score after Styles’ interception. He also converted a fourth-and-one late to keep Washington’s go-ahead drive alive.
Rachaad White didn’t pile up eye-catching totals, but his plays mattered. He scored Washington’s first touchdown of the game and later broke off a 19-yard run on third-and-nine with less than two minutes left, a run that helped keep Seattle from getting the ball back with a chance to win.
Odafe Oweh didn’t record a sack, but he still made his presence felt. He finished with two quarterback hits, and his pressure on Darnold helped set up Medrano’s pick-six in the fourth quarter.
Amik Robertson was busy all afternoon. He totaled six tackles, four pass breakups, and forced the fumble that gave Washington its first takeaway of the season. Clearly, he got the message from Daronte Jones that the Commanders were going to have to ride his play.
Still, this wasn’t a clean performance. Washington’s pre-snap issues showed up too often.
An illegal formation erased a 48-yard Jacory Croskey-Merritt touchdown, John Bates was hit with a false start that stalled another drive, and the Commanders were flagged for multiple illegal shifts later on. They got away with it Sunday, but those mistakes were hanging around like trouble waiting to happen.
Antonio Williams also had his first real miss after two strong weeks. Mariota dropped a deep ball right where it needed to be in the third quarter, but Williams couldn’t bring it in on a play that could have gone for a touchdown. He finished with two catches for 15 yards on four targets.
The ground game never really found its footing. Washington finished with 82 rushing yards on 32 carries, and Croskey-Merritt managed just 36 yards on 19 attempts. Outside of White’s late run, the Commanders had a hard time generating much on the ground.
Third down was another problem. Washington converted only 3 of 13 chances, which helped lead to seven Tress Way punts. The offense made enough plays when it absolutely had to, but too many drives died before they had a chance to turn into anything.
And even with all the timely defensive plays, the finish got tighter than it needed to be. After Medrano’s pick-six put Washington ahead 33-24, Seattle answered with a 68-yard drive in 1:06 to make it a two-point game. Darnold finished with 379 passing yards and four touchdowns, and Washington was fortunate its offense never had to hand the ball back one more time.
In Other News...
Kain Medrano May Have Just Forced A Bigger Commanders Role
The Commanders needed help at linebacker, and Kain Medrano gave them something they can build on in a hurry. In Sundays win over the Seahawks, the second-year linebacker finally got his first regular-season defensive snaps and made them count in a major way, turning a fourth-quarter interception into a pick-six that helped decide the game. It was the kind of sudden impact Washington has been searching for as injuries have thinned that position group.
Marcus Mariota, Sonny Styles and Terry McLaurin did their part in the victory, but Medranos moment may have changed the conversation about what comes next. A player who had not taken a defensive snap in an NFL regular-season game before Week 3 suddenly looked like someone Washington can trust in meaningful situations, and with the linebacker room already stretched, his role is now worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Shocked Seattle But One Problem Still Wont Go Away
The Commanders left their home opener with an eye-opening win over Seattle, and the result was even more impressive because it came after Jayden Daniels went down with a dislocated elbow. Marcus Mariota stepped in at quarterback, while Washington played with noticeably more urgency and got an early lift from a defense that looked far sharper than it had in recent weeks.
Mike Sainristils limited playing time was one piece of the postgame conversation, but the larger concern lingered in the same familiar place. Washington still had trouble staying clean before the snap, and those discipline issues keep hanging around even after a victory that should have been about relief and momentum. The Commanders got the upset they needed, but the details around how sustainable it really is are harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Lose Leo Chenal After Frightening Injury Scare
The second quarter brought a frightening pause for the Commanders when linebacker Leo Chenal went down against the Seahawks and had to be taken off the field on a cart. Washington later ruled him out with a neck injury, leaving the focus far bigger than the score and shifting attention immediately to Chenals condition.
There was a small measure of relief in the early reports, which indicated Chenal was able to move his arms and legs as he was being removed from the field. Even so, any neck injury draws instant concern, and the Commanders will be waiting on further updates as they try to sort through both the medical outlook and the on-field void left behind. [Read more 🡒]