The Commanders vs Seahawks Week 3 recap begins with a sigh of relief. Washington finally earned its first win of the season. The final score read 33-31 at Northwest Stadium.
It’s difficult to call the third game of the season a must win situation, but to many Commanders faithful, it definitely felt that way.
QB2
Marcus Mariota started in place of Jayden Daniels. That looked dire given the Commanders already sitting at 0-2 on the season, but he proved completely dependable.
Mariota completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards. He threw three touchdowns and zero interceptions. While those aren’t outlandish numbers, they came against one of the league’s best defenses.
Arguably his best play came late in the game on a scramble that landed Washington a late first down that sealed a victory. Mariota’s calm presence kept the offense on track all afternoon.
Sonny Afternoon
Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles delivered a breakout performance. While he has flashed signs of brilliance so far through two games, he had easily his best showing to date.
Styles forced a fumble early, when he punched the ball away from Jadarian Price. He also recorded his first career interception. Head coach Dan Quinn has been stressing the importance of turnovers for his defense, and Sunday they had three. Styles had two of them.
The rookie sensation also added multiple tackles and a pass breakup where he looked a lot more like a speedy safety than a giant 250-pound linebacker. His energy seemed to lift the entire defense.
Turning Point
Kain Medrano provided perhaps the biggest moment of the day. With the score tight at 26-24 in the fourth quarter, Medrano intercepted Sam Darnold. He returned the pick 50 yards for a touchdown.
The pick-six gave Washington a 33-24 lead. That play ultimately pushed the Commanders towards the victory.
Leo! Leo!
Medrano was in at linebacker due to the loss of Leo Chenal – who suffered a scary neck injury that saw him carted from the field as the crowd held it’s collective breath. Chenal suffered the injury while tackling Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson. He collapsed to the turf and did not move at all initially.
Washington fans chanted, “Leo! Leo!” as he was taken from the field on a spine board. Chenal raised his fist to let the crowd now that he was okay, which was an encouraging sight for onlookers. Unfortunately, it does appear that he will require season ending neck surgery.
Washington were already thin at linebacker due to injuries to Frankie Luvu (groin) and Jordan Magee (hamstring).
Dominant Run D
The Commanders defense controlled the run game. Again.
Seattle managed just 44 rushing yards on the day. On 18 carries. That’s an anemic 2.4 yards per carry. Dallas managed just 66 yards last week, despite their 37-20 victory. The Eagles did put up 136 yards in Week 1, but Washington held Saquon Barkley relatively in check with just 83 yards.
There are elements of the defense that will have to get better for Washington to succeed, but their run defense isn’t one of them. The reasons for that success should be spread across multiple performers on the defensive line, but none have been better than Javon Kinlaw. Daron Payne and Tim Settle have also played well.
Gap discipline has played a big factor.
Not So Dominant Pass D
The Commanders pass defense has not fared nearly as well.
Sam Darnold put up 379 yards and threw four touchdowns. Washington’s defense was gashed for chunks, as Brady Russell, AJ Barner, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba all caught passes netting more than 20 yards.
Few cornerbacks in the league can handle Smith-Njigba, who has become one of, if not THE best receiver in the NFL. He caught ten balls for 128 yards and had two touchdowns. It seemed like even more than that, as he was a nightmare for the secondary all day.
Mike Sainristil continues to struggle and while Amik Robertson and Rasul Douglas have fared better, Commanders fans are chomping at the bit to see Trey Amos return from the IR.
Summary
Despite struggling through the air, the Commanders answered every challenge. Medrano’s interception should have been the end of it, but the Seahawks battled back to draw within two.
Mariota’s late scramble on third down iced the clock, and Washington held on for the upset.
This win snapped Seattle’s 12-game league-leading winning streak. What a shame.
It also gave the Commanders some much-needed joy and momentum.
Hail.