Commanders Shock Defending Champion Seahawks 33-31 Behind Mariota, Turnover-Hungry Defense
By Brian Hradsky
The Washington Commanders finally broke through for their first victory of the 2026 season Sunday afternoon, defeating the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks 33-31 at Northwest Stadium in one of the biggest early-season wins for Washington. Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes while Washington’s defense forced three turnovers, including Kain Medrano’s 50-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The victory improved Washington to 1-2 while Seattle fell to 2-1 and saw its franchise-record 12-game winning streak come to an end.
Washington needed nearly everything to go right against a Seattle team that had not lost since November, and the Commanders found a formula that worked. Seattle dominated many of the traditional statistics, outgaining Washington 437-258 and producing 28 first downs compared with Washington’s 17. However, the Commanders played turnover-free football while taking the ball away three times, and Seattle’s three giveaways directly led to 21 Washington points.
Mariota started in place of Jayden Daniels and completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Sam Darnold was far more productive statistically for Seattle, completing 31 of 45 passes for 379 yards and four touchdowns, but his two interceptions proved costly. Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his excellent start to the season with 10 receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns, while Terry McLaurin led Washington with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
First Quarter: Washington’s Defense Sets the Tone
Washington won the coin toss and deferred, putting its defense on the field first in wet conditions at Northwest Stadium. The Commanders immediately showed that they were not going to allow Seattle to dictate the game. K’Lavon Chaisson dropped Jadarian Price for a four-yard loss during Seattle’s opening possession, and Washington eventually forced the Seahawks to give the ball back.
The Commanders did not score on their first possession, but their defense quickly provided another opportunity. Price fumbled on Seattle’s next series, and Washington recovered at the Seahawks’ 21-yard line for its first fumble recovery of the season. Against the defending champions, Washington could not afford to settle for three points after receiving such favorable field position.
Mariota made sure the Commanders reached the end zone. Washington needed only four plays and 1:52 to travel the 21 yards, with Mariota finding Rachaad White for a six-yard touchdown. Drew Stevens converted the extra point, and Washington led 7-0 with 9:08 remaining in the first quarter.
Washington’s defense followed the touchdown by forcing a Seattle three-and-out. The Commanders had an opportunity to establish even more control, but mistakes prevented the offense from taking advantage. An illegal formation wiped out a productive Jacory Croskey-Merritt run, while Dyami Brown could not stay in bounds on a potential drive-extending reception.
Seattle began to settle down late in the quarter. Darnold moved the Seahawks down the field, and Smith-Njigba helped Seattle reach the Washington 1-yard line before the period ended. Washington still led 7-0 after 15 minutes, but Seattle was positioned to answer immediately in the second quarter.
Second Quarter: Seattle Answers, Mariota Responds
Seattle needed little time to finish the drive once the second quarter began. Darnold rolled to his right and connected with Smith-Njigba for a one-yard touchdown with 13:27 remaining. Jason Myers converted the extra point, tying the game at 7 after Seattle had marched 88 yards in nine plays.
Washington’s offense struggled on its next possession. A false start contributed to a three-and-out, continuing an early problem with pre-snap mistakes. Against a Seattle defense that entered the game playing at an extremely high level, Washington could not afford to continually put itself behind the chains.
The Commanders’ defense responded by forcing another three-and-out. Amik Robertson made an open-field tackle that helped stop the Seattle possession, giving Mariota another opportunity. This time, Washington took advantage.
Mariota directed an eight-play, 60-yard scoring drive that consumed 3:34. Washington moved into Seattle territory before Mariota found Treylon Burks for an 11-yard touchdown with 6:47 remaining. Stevens added the extra point to put Washington back in front 14-7.
The touchdown represented Mariota’s second scoring pass of the afternoon. Rather than asking its backup quarterback to carry the entire offense, Washington put him in manageable situations and allowed him to distribute the football. Most importantly, Mariota continued to protect the ball.
Washington then suffered a frightening moment when linebacker Leo Chenal sustained a neck injury and was carted from the field. Chenal’s departure further tested a Commanders defense already dealing with injuries, eventually forcing Medrano into a larger role. That would become one of the biggest storylines of the afternoon.
Seattle threatened late in the half, but Washington’s defense prevented the Seahawks from reaching the end zone. Myers eventually connected on a 57-yard field goal, cutting the Commanders’ lead to 14-10 with less than a minute remaining.
Instead of simply allowing the clock to expire, Washington answered. Mariota and the offense gained enough ground to give Stevens an opportunity, and the rookie drilled a 57-yard field goal as time expired. The kick restored Washington’s seven-point advantage and sent the Commanders into halftime leading 17-10.
Washington had weathered Seattle’s response and, because the Commanders deferred after winning the opening coin toss, would receive the football to begin the second half.
Third Quarter: Turnover Leads to McLaurin Touchdown
Washington did not immediately score on its opening possession of the second half, but the defense again changed the game. Rookie Sonny Styles intercepted Darnold after a pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage, giving the Commanders their second takeaway of the afternoon.
Washington wasted little time turning the takeaway into points.
Mariota attacked Seattle downfield and connected with McLaurin for a 30-yard touchdown. McLaurin made the play for his first touchdown of the season, and Stevens’ extra point gave Washington a 24-10 advantage with 10:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Mariota had now thrown three touchdown passes without turning the ball over. More importantly, both of Seattle’s turnovers had become Washington touchdowns.
The defending champions were not finished.
Darnold responded by directing an eight-play, 55-yard scoring drive. Facing first down from the Washington 13, Darnold found tight end Eric Saubert near the goal line. Sonny Styles knocked the football loose as Saubert approached the end zone, but Saubert recovered his own fumble in the end zone for the touchdown. Myers’ extra point cut Washington’s lead to 24-17 with 6:05 remaining.
The play could have easily resulted in another Washington takeaway, but instead Seattle escaped with seven points.
The Seahawks continued gaining momentum as the quarter progressed. Washington’s offense was struggling to consistently move the football against Seattle’s defense, which meant the Commanders’ defense remained under considerable pressure. Darnold had begun finding openings throughout Washington’s secondary, and Smith-Njigba remained difficult to contain.
Washington entered the fourth quarter still holding a 24-17 advantage, but Seattle had seized some momentum and was threatening to erase what had once been a 14-point deficit.
Fourth Quarter: Seattle Ties It
Seattle completed its comeback early in the fourth quarter.
Darnold led a seven-play, 69-yard possession that consumed more than four minutes. He finished the drive by connecting with Smith-Njigba for an 11-yard touchdown with 11:53 remaining. Myers’ extra point tied the game at 24.
Smith-Njigba’s second touchdown capped another productive afternoon. He finished with 10 receptions for 128 yards and two scores, giving him three consecutive 100-yard receiving games to begin the season. According to the game recap, Smith-Njigba joined Jerry Rice as the only players to open a season with at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of their first three games.
Washington now faced perhaps its biggest offensive possession of the game.
The Commanders responded with a long, methodical drive rather than attempting to immediately create an explosive play. Washington ran 12 plays, moved 27 yards and, most importantly, drained 7:19 from the clock. Seattle eventually stopped Mariota short of extending the possession, but Stevens connected from 36 yards to give Washington a 27-24 lead with 4:34 remaining.
Washington had regained the lead, but Darnold and Seattle still had plenty of time.
Then came the play of the game.
Medrano’s Pick-Six Changes Everything
Less than a minute after Stevens’ field goal, Darnold attempted to find tight end AJ Barner over the middle. Medrano read the play, intercepted the pass at midfield and had nothing but open field in front of him.
The backup linebacker raced 50 yards for the touchdown.
Washington suddenly led 33-24 with 3:57 remaining. Stevens missed the extra point wide left, leaving Seattle within two scores, but Medrano had completely changed the game.
The circumstances made the play even more significant. Medrano had been pushed into a larger role after Chenal’s neck injury earlier in the afternoon. Two quarters after Washington watched Chenal leave the field on a cart, his replacement produced the decisive defensive play.
It was Washington’s third takeaway and the third Seattle turnover to directly produce a Commanders touchdown. Seattle had accumulated significantly more yardage throughout the afternoon, but Washington had turned every major Seahawks mistake into seven points.
Seattle Makes One Final Push
Darnold immediately responded.
Seattle needed only five plays to travel 68 yards, with Darnold finding Cooper Kupp for a seven-yard touchdown. Myers converted the extra point, cutting Washington’s advantage to 33-31 with 2:51 remaining.
Suddenly, the game came down to whether Washington could keep possession.
Seattle still had all three timeouts, meaning a three-and-out would give Darnold another opportunity to win the game. Washington needed its offense to make a play after relying on the defense to create scoring opportunities throughout the afternoon.
The Commanders delivered.
Rachaad White ripped off a critical 19-yard run as Washington attempted to drain the clock. Seattle began using its timeouts, but the Commanders continued moving the chains. Mariota then provided the final decisive play by scrambling nine yards on third-and-7, earning another first down and eliminating Seattle’s opportunity to get the football back.
Mariota took two kneel-downs from there.
Washington had survived.
Turnovers Tell the Story
Seattle’s offensive numbers would normally be enough to win comfortably. The Seahawks accumulated 437 yards compared with Washington’s 258, averaged 6.8 yards per play compared with Washington’s 4.0 and finished with 28 first downs to Washington’s 17.
Darnold threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in his return from a glute injury. Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, AJ Barner added five catches for 69 yards and Kupp finished with four receptions for 46 yards and a score. Seattle’s passing attack repeatedly found ways to move the football.
Yet Washington won the statistic that mattered most.
The Commanders finished plus-three in turnover margin. Price’s first-quarter fumble became White’s touchdown. Styles’ third-quarter interception led to McLaurin’s touchdown. Medrano eliminated the need for Washington’s offense to even take the field by returning his fourth-quarter interception 50 yards for six points.
That accounted for 21 Washington points off Seattle turnovers in a game decided by two.
Mariota, meanwhile, never gave Seattle the same opportunity. He finished 19-of-31 for 183 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. McLaurin caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Washington did just enough offensively to capitalize whenever its defense created an opportunity.
Commanders Finally Break Through
Washington entered Sunday 0-2 and without Daniels, but the Commanders found a way to beat the defending Super Bowl champions.
The victory also snapped Seattle’s franchise-record 12-game winning streak. Seattle had not lost since November 2025, and the Seahawks had gone on to win the Super Bowl before opening 2026 with consecutive victories.
Washington now turns its attention toward a matchup with the Indianapolis professional football team in London. Seattle returns home to face the Los Angeles Chargers.
MSB Take
This was not a perfect performance from the Commanders, but it might have been exactly the type of victory Washington needed after starting the season 0-2. The Commanders were without Daniels, were facing the defending Super Bowl champions and were outgained by nearly 180 yards. Washington still found a way to finish the afternoon with a 33-31 victory.
The biggest difference was the defense finally creating turnovers. Washington entered the afternoon searching for takeaways and finished with three, with all three producing touchdowns. That is a 21-point swing created by the defense, and it completely neutralized Seattle’s advantage in total offense.
Mariota deserves plenty of credit as well. Washington did not need him to throw for 350 yards or carry the offense by himself. The Commanders needed him to protect the football, make the throws available to him and deliver in the biggest moments, and he finished with three touchdowns and no interceptions before using his legs to convert the third down that essentially ended the game.
Medrano’s pick-six will rightfully be remembered as the defining moment. A backup linebacker who received an increased opportunity because of an injury stepped in front of Darnold’s pass and took it 50 yards to the end zone. Washington’s defense had been waiting for a game in which the takeaways arrived in bunches, and when they finally did, the Commanders turned them into points.
There are still issues Washington must address. Seattle gained 437 yards, Darnold threw for 379 and the Commanders managed only 258 yards of offense. Washington will not consistently win games with that type of yardage differential, and the running game struggled for much of the afternoon.
For one Sunday, none of that mattered.
Washington needed a win and found a way to get one against the defending champions. The Commanders protected the football, capitalized on Seattle’s mistakes and made the plays that mattered most in the fourth quarter.
At 1-2, Washington’s season suddenly looks considerably different heading into London.
