Seahawks vs Commanders was supposed to be a comfortable afternoon for the defending Super Bowl champions. It wasn’t. Washington won 33-31 at Northwest Stadium on Sunday, September 27, handing Seattle its first loss since November. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes, the Commanders forced three turnovers in their home opener, and linebacker Kain Medrano settled it with a 50-yard interception return with 3:57 to play.
The result moves Washington to 1-2 and drops Seattle to 2-1. It also ends a 12 game winning streak that carried the Seahawks through last season’s playoffs and the Super Bowl, according to ESPN’s game recap and MyNorthwest.
The play that decided Seahawks vs Commanders
Seattle had clawed back from 24-10 down. Sam Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for an 11-yard touchdown with 11:53 left to tie it at 24, and after a Washington field goal made it 27-24, the Seahawks were moving again with a chance to take the lead.
That’s when Medrano jumped a Darnold throw and ran it back 50 yards. Medrano was only on the field in a bigger role because starter Leo Chenal had been carted off with a neck injury in the second quarter. Head coach Dan Quinn said afterwards that Chenal had feeling in his extremities at the hospital, ESPN reported.
The extra point after the pick six missed, and that kept things tense. Darnold found Cooper Kupp for a 7-yard score with 2:51 left, but Seattle finished two points short.
Key numbers from the box score
| Player | Line |
|---|---|
| Marcus Mariota, WSH | 19 of 31, 183 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT |
| Sam Darnold, SEA | 31 of 45, 379 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA | 10 catches, 128 yards, 2 TD |
| Kain Medrano, WSH | 50-yard interception return TD |
Seattle’s three giveaways were a fumble by running back Jadarian Price early in the game, which handed Washington the ball at the Seattle 21, and two Darnold interceptions.
Scoring summary
| Quarter | Play | Score (SEA v WSH) |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Mariota 6-yard TD pass to Rachaad White | 0-7 |
| Q2 | Darnold 1-yard TD pass to Smith-Njigba | 7-7 |
| Q2 | Mariota 11-yard TD pass to Treylon Burks | 7-14 |
| Q2 | Seahawks 57-yard field goal | 10-14 |
| Q2 | Commanders 57-yard field goal | 10-17 |
| Q3 | Mariota 30-yard TD pass to Terry McLaurin | 10-24 |
| Q3 | Darnold TD pass to Eric Saubert | 17-24 |
| Q4 | Darnold 11-yard TD pass to Smith-Njigba | 24-24 |
| Q4 | Commanders field goal | 24-27 |
| Q4 | Medrano 50-yard interception return (PAT missed) | 24-33 |
| Q4 | Darnold 7-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp | 31-33 |
Scoring plays match ESPN’s summary and the CBS Sports gametracker.
Why Mariota was under center
Washington have been without Jayden Daniels since he hurt his left elbow again in Week 2, a story we covered in our Week 3 quarterback shake-up. Mariota didn’t try to win the game on his own. He spread three short and medium touchdowns across three different receivers, didn’t turn the ball over, and let the defense do the rest.
For Seattle, the loss hides a huge day from Smith-Njigba. ESPN noted he became only the second player after Jerry Rice to record 120 or more receiving yards and a touchdown in each of his team’s first three games. Darnold, back after missing Week 2 with a glute injury, threw for 379 yards and four scores, yet the two interceptions cost his side the game.
Pick six, explained
If you’re new to the NFL, a “pick six” is an interception returned for a touchdown. It’s worth six points like any other touchdown, and the scoring team then kicks for a seventh. Washington missed that extra point, so the lead stayed at nine instead of ten. That’s why Seattle’s late touchdown and kick got them within two, a single score away, rather than leaving them a full touchdown short.
Injuries to watch
- Leo Chenal, Commanders linebacker: carted off with a neck injury in the second quarter and taken to hospital.
- Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks: hamstring injury in the first half.
What’s next for both teams
The Seahawks host the Los Angeles Chargers at 4:25pm ET on Sunday, October 4. The Commanders travel to London to face the Indianapolis Colts at 9:30am ET the same day, per the NFL’s Week 4 schedule.
