Every victory deserves some serious love in this league, and the players who deliver standout performances deserve to be recognized. After two disheartening weeks, our squad bounced back with a massive, hard-fought 33-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Northwest Stadium.
To celebrate, I wanted to create a space for us fans to give credit where credit is due and honor the guys who truly stepped up when we needed it most.
This introduces our new weekly tradition: The Boss Hog of the Week.
Moving forward, I hope to keep these fan votes running throughout the entire season. The rules are simple: each week represents a standalone vote, and at the end of the year, I’ll tally up all the weekly winners to crown the official, definitive Boss Hog of the season.
Without further ado, let’s look at the standout performers. Here are your nominees for this week’s award:
QB Marcus Mariota
Stat line: 19-for-31, 183 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 0 INTs | 5 carries, 11 rushing yards
Marcus Mariota stepped into a high-pressure situation and delivered exactly what this team needed. Following a deflating loss to Dallas, Mariota was named the starter for the week with Jayden Daniels sidelined with a left elbow dislocation. In a massive show of confidence, the team also named him an all-season captain — and he rewarded that trust.
Mariota led a smart, calculated attack, exploiting a Seattle defense that was missing both starting safeties. While it wasn’t always pretty, it was efficient, largely mistake-free football. He finished the day throwing for three touchdowns and sealed the victory himself, picking up a critical first down on a gritty third-and-7 run to run out the clock. It was a remarkably strong, poised performance from the veteran, who will now look to carry this momentum across the pond as the team heads to London.
WR Terry McLaurin
Stat line: 5 receptions, 78 receiving Yards, 1 receiving TD
Terry McLaurin stepped up when his team needed him most. After frustratingly missing out on the end zone three separate times last week, McLaurin bounced back with a rock-solid performance to finally found paydirt this week. While he didn’t quite match the explosive stat line put up by his opponent, Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN), his impact on the outcome of the game was undeniable. His clutch 30-yard touchdown reception gave the team the necessary cushion to maintain the lead, serving as a perfect example of a squad that simply refused to give up. It was exactly the kind of gritty, winning football you want to see from a true leader.
LB Sonny Styles
Stat line: 4 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 1 interception, 2 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, 1 QB Hit.
Sonny Styles had a true breakout performance. Many fans, including myself, thought his transition to this important defensive role would be a steep hill to climb, but he is completely shattering those expectations. He has been progressing week-to-week, proving that, while there are still areas to refine, he is absolutely fearless when facing a challenge.
He was an absolute menace and an instant playmaker on Sunday, single-handedly disrupting the offense by forcing two massive turnovers. His most impressive sequence didn’t even show up on the turnover sheet. it was a jaw-dropping play where he went stride-for-stride down the field with explosive Seattle running back Jadarian Price, perfectly tracking the ball to force a clutch pass breakup. That rare combination of size, speed, and coverage ability is exactly what Washington’s defense was desperately missing all of last season. He isn’t just surviving the transition; he’s becoming a star in the process.
CB Amik Robertson
Stat line: 6 total tackles (4 Solo), 4 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble
The box score won’t reveal Amik Robertson’s true impact. Not just on Sunday, but over the previous weeks.
Amik has been head-and-shoulders above the rest as the best cornerback on this team. He has fought tooth-and-nail to make every play miserable and difficult for opposing wide receivers. He was targeted relentlessly on Sunday, ultimately allowing four receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown, all to Seattle’s elite wideout Smith-Njigba.
What truly earned Amik a spot on this ballot is his sheer, unyielding effort. Whether it’s laying out for pass breakups, ripping the ball away for a forced fumble or great pursuit to ensure a play doesn’t extend an inch further, he refuses to give up. Amik has established himself as the heart and soul of this defensive backfield, a secondary that should get better when Trey Amos makes his return.
LB Kain Medrano
The Stat Line: 5 Total Tackles (3 Solo), 1 Interception, 1 Pass Defended, 1 QB Hit, 1 Touchdown (Pick-Six).
Welcome to the show, Kain! I had some very strong reservations about Medrano. He still has some clear tackling issues that carried over from his college days, but stepping into the fire the moment Leo Chenal went down was the ultimate test. He didn’t just fill a gap; he made arguably the play of the game with that beautiful interception on Sam Darnold, taking it all the way back to the house for a spectacular touchdown. It was an absolutely incredible moment for a player who simply kept his head down, stayed ready, and answered the call the second his chance arrived.
OC David Blough
David Blough deserves tons of love for this win, too. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense has been an absolute buzzsaw since last season. That background makes this masterpiece of a game even more impressive for our first-year play caller. Blough drew up an excellent game plan and executed it beautifully. Seattle hadn’t given up an explosive play all year until Blough dialed up that 21-yard screen play to receiver Jaylin Lane. Following that up with the 30-yard touchdown strike to Terry McLaurin made it two explosive cracks. Even with several key players missing from his own unit, Blough kept a top defense completely off-balance and confused at times. This was a statement game for Blough, and doing it against a defensive juggernaut is a huge bonus for our coaching staff moving forward.
This is the type of game that will either be a once-in-a-blue-moon moment or the exact shift of energy the Commanders needed to bounce back for the rest of the season. But, for right now, let’s just enjoy this massive upset!
Be sure to vote in the poll below, and if there’s anyone I missed, make sure to post them in the comments. I hope you all enjoy this new series!
