There are a lot of ways to break down a game, unless one team is so thoroughly outclassed that one inescapable conclusion remains: this was a nationally televised whoopin’ of other people’s bottoms. The type
we used to see with the [redacted] Seattle Seahawks. You know, the brand of defensive suffocate-o-fest that temporarily got Seattle banned from primetime.
Seahawks 38, Washington Commanders 14 hardly conveys the power imbalance on display Sunday night. When it mattered, Jayden Daniels was so under siege, the Washington run game was so ineffective, and the Seahawks offense so lethal that halftime might as well have been the final buzzer. Add a pinch of improved ball security, and when the credits started to roll for real, Mad Mac’s road warriors had yet again laid waste to another foe away from home. That’s ten consecutive.
This is the season’s third such complete win for your darling, our darling, and the nation’s newest darling Seattle Seahawks. Remember, the Saints never had a chance, and the Texans hung around on fluky plays that were thankfully absent Sunday night. So here we are, gliding between Halloween and Thanksgiving; it’s definitely not early anymore, and will you look at that, nobody has a better record in the NFC. Nobody is better on the road. Only one other team has Seattle’s impressive +81 scoring differential beat, and by one single solitary point, at that. (It’s the Los Angeles Rams. Who are also the only better scoring defense. Why is it always those guys in our way, the Houston Astros of the NFL? Can anyone bring back those Sean McVay burnout rumors?)
Forget all that for a minute, though. For the second time in six weeks, Seattle thrashed an overmatched opponent in all phases, won the game in the second quarter, coasted in the third, and preseasoned their way through the fourth. A fan could get accustomed to a few of these comprehensive ass-kickings every year.
After a pretty nondescript Commanders opening possession — self-sabotaged by a Tyler Biadasz 15 yard personal foul — the Seahawks started at their own 10. Missing Cooper Kupp, Jake Bobo and Dareke Young, the Seattle offense figured to lean on its running game and tight ends more than usual. Well, someone forgot to tell Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The October NFC Offensive Player of the Month had 119 yards at halftime and the only reason he didn’t get into the end zone was Tory Horton and Elijah Arroyo pulled him aside to say, “Dude, we’re talking to America here.”
Fun fact that is actually fun: the Seahawks scored five touchdowns Sunday night, all by players ages 22, 23 and 24. Their biggest star didn’t find the end zone but that’s okay he’s only 23. And we’re going to get to the other rookies across the roster, but now’s as good a time as any to give John Schneider his props. That was one hell of a 2025 draft, two years after the JSN-Spoon two-step that brought real top-line young talent into an aging roster.
Yes, okay, the game, but forgive me if I dwell on the scrumptious first drive. Kenneth Walker toss for six, Tory Horton slant for 13, JSN jet sweep nets 11; things are clicking early. What’s this though — a Robbie Ouzts personal foul to offset the Commanders’ equal misstep? No matter. JSN picks up 13 more, false start, JSN sneaks himself open for another effortless 14, setting up 3rd and 3, which A.J. Barner converts precariously. Walker follows his blockers for a dozen, earning himself two more handoffs to bring about 3rd and 1… only to see Charles Cross false start the tush push. No matter 2.0, we’ll just run a little Walker delayed baby slant on 3rd and 6. After a rather obvious Marcus Lattimore DPI on Smith-Njigba, Walker is stopped for no gain, setting up Horton’s first TD in the back of the end zone, right behind the double coverage on JSN.
The possession felt endless, but not in the foreign film with fuzzy subtitles way, in the all-you-can-eat-jumbo-shrimp way instead. Considering the early penalties, the Seahawks had to convert the equivalent of a 1st and 30. They had to shelve a botched tush push. They started at their own 10, remember? Therefore this was a tone-setting 115-yard drive on the road that digested eight minutes of clock. You could hear the Sea-HAWKS chants on the broadcast. It wouldn’t be the last time.
You know those games where everything feels just a little too pre-ordained? And good things keep stacking, until they seem inevitable, because one team is in completely control and imposing its will? Yeah, me neither with the Seahawks of the last decade. Something old is new again here.
After forcing the Commanders into 3rd and 17 (with help from another personal foul), the Seahawks engaged pre-ordained victory mode. Ty Okada got the takeaway party started with footwork that would make Raiders legend Tyler Lockett proud:
And look, this is a great play by the backup safety, nobody denies it. Nevertheless! Observe who renders the throw interceptable — that one guy the secondary was missing for so long. I’ll give you one more hint: top of the screen.
The Seahawks capitalized, because it was that kind of game. Four Zach Charbonnet runs and two JSN receptions later it’s 3rd and 8. Or as it’s now called, don’t cover Horton time. Abe Lucas gives Sam Darnold juuuuuust enough time (a theme we’ll get to later) to put the right amount of air under the ball, and voila:
Two-score game still. All Washington has to do is lean on Daniels, let him break down the defense like usual, hang around until halftime, and oh what’s this on the kickoff? Their names are Brandon Pili and Connor O’Toole. Learn them.
Literally one play later Arroyo hangs on to a Darnold laser so precise it never looked like he threw it into triple coverage, which he kinda did. When you’re having a 16-16-282-4-0 half you can get away with it though.
Speaking of Darnold at last, everyone’s consensus preseason MVP favorite makes one delivery every week that achieves the platonic ideal of a forward pass. This week there were multiple candidates, but none sexier than the feather he gently laid in Smith-Njigba’s breadbasket right before half. Pity it “only” led to three points.
Anything else? Oh yeah, the Commanders got a touchdown somewhere in there. It mattered very much! All their families were very proud.
Speaking of proud, Cody White made himself a lifetime memory with his first NFL touchdown. It’ll be good to get Kupp, Bobo and Young back into the WR rotation, but nobody will ever take this 28-0 dagger away from White. Couldn’t be happier for him.
What’s left to say about the second half? The pace slowed to a crawl, Darnold eventually threw an incompletion, then a silly but inconsequential interception. Got Mike Dickson some work in the fourth quarter, as a treat. Mike Macdonald gifted Drew Lock three snaps and George Holani enjoyed a trio of clock-munching totes. Meanwhile, the Commanders couldn’t score until garbage time, and Daniels played one series too many in a lost-cause game that quickly escalated into a lost season. Gruesome injuries are never good but thank heavens it wasn’t a knee, a head, an Achilles, or a shoulder injury. Drake Thomas’ tackle was clean and sure, not to mention a pretty savvy play by the developing linebacker who stands to become a fixture right away. Get better fast Jayden.
Seattle’s most significant injury came to Ernest Jones, whose knee bent the wrong way on a second-quarter tackle. He did not return and Macdonald expressed only light concern postgame, calling the situation “not season-ending.” Which won’t stop everyone from holding their breath with every injury report between now and that date with the Rams on November 16.
A statistical note before Predator and Prey. The box score will forever scream “153 rushing yards allowed by Seattle,” but before the game was decided at 28-0, Washington managed all of 31 yards on ten carries. The Seahawks run defense came in as an elite unit, averaging 3.3 ypc against. They did nothing to dispel that dominance, which the Rams, Niners and Colts will test far more stringently in December.
PREDATOR
947 yards through eight games? Six hundred-yard days to tie Steve Largent’s franchise record for most in a single season? Jaxon Smith-Njigba is having an MVP season too. Incidentally, he’s on pace for 2,012 yards.
PREDATOR
Byron Murphy has made the leap. Another half sack, another day of profiting from the double-teams on Big Cat, another day of justifying his draft position and growing into the role Macdonald has crafted for him. He just moves different and offensive linemen can’t keep up.
PREDATOR
Nick Emmanwori looks less and less like a rookie with each passing quarter. He’s the wrong size for opposing receivers, nastier than most tight ends, and an excellent blitzer already. Here’s what I mean by the wrong size:
PREDATOR
Tariq Woolen, for multiple plays in “relief” of Josh Jobe, but mainly for this LOB-adjacent attitude (flawless time to take this exact penalty too, no notes):
PREDATOR
What is there left to say about Sam Darnold’s night. Seventeen straight completions to put the game away. Almost 14 yards an attempt. Continued mind-meld with JSN. Channeled Good Russ for one play, that sack-negating shovel flip to Charbonnet for 21. Generally you want to stop after one homage to RW, and Sam gets it.
PREDATOR
The entire Seahawks offensive line held the Commanders to one QB hit, no sacks, and more pockets were clean than not. Football is a group project and they were as crucial to the win as the so-called skill positions.
PREDATOR
You didn’t think I’d forget Tory Horton, on the day he announced himself to the world and sent millions of fantasy owners scurrying for his services, did you? Man has five touchdowns now, one for every round he had to wait to hear his name called in the draft. Stay angry Tory, it’s an honorable tradition among overlooked Seahawks receivers.
HONORARY PREDATOR BECAUSE AWESOME THAT’S WHY
Obviously Leo Williams. His shoestring tackle to prevent Daniels from converting 4th and 15 didn’t change the game, but sure made it less stressful in the end. Another sack. Another evening of drawing double teams to give his teammates open lanes. He’s going to have one of those monster Big Cat games in November. Safest prediction ever.
Who cares about preys. Next week maybe.
With new dreams of imminent contenderhood, Seahawks fans are left to wait on Jones news, hope the team carries all that swagger into the Cardinals game and re-establishes home-field advantage. Which might be the only missing ingredient for a deep playoff run. As far as the Hawks will go, let us go with them.
