The Seattle Seahawks fell 33-31 to the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon, snapping their franchise-record 12-game winning streak. Despite being heavily favored to clobber the Commanders, the Seahawks turned the ball over three times — and the end product was some of the worst complementary football they’ve seen in their recent stretch of dominance.
There could be any number of honorable mentions, because there were ups and downs to every player’s performance today (except one). These six stood out most during the game. Here are your Studs and Duds for Week 3.
STUDS
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
If a wide receiver can win the NFL MVP award, how do you not give it to Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) through three weeks? He demanded 14 targets and caught 10 of them for 128 yards and two
touchdowns. He’s every bit as unguardable as he was last season. He was the best player on the field once again today. On FOX’s broadcast, Greg Olsen called him “the best non-quarterback in the league.” The first touchdown resembled the figure-skating analogy many have used to describe his effortless style, where he somehow gets open in an incredibly short area and just looks like he’s doing a choreographed movement. Scouts would say “he gets open in a phone booth.” It’s as effective as any single skill in football at the moment, even in a rare loss.
Byron Murphy II
This one wasn’t as easy to see as JSN, but there aren’t many defensive tackles like Byron Murphy II. Without him, the Seahawks would’ve lost their 31-game streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher. His low pad level wears down every offensive line Seattle faces, and they kept the Commanders at 82 yards rushing on 32 carries (2.6 yards per carry) in one of their worst performances in recent memory. He ended with seven tackles (two solo), but his double teams opened up teammates Leonard Williams, Derick Hall, and DeMarcus Lawrence to get in the backfield and rack up sacks and tackles for loss. He’s one of the more consistent players in this team’s game plan, week in and week out.
Derick Hall
The Seahawks needed to set strong edges to shut down the Commanders’ elusive running backs, and Derick Hall made that possible. He was on the Duds list in Week 1, but reminded us why he still has more potential to unlock. He and DeMarcus Lawrence used their arm length and strength advantages to dominate opposing tackles Brandon Coleman and Josh Conerly Jr. Hall finished with two tackles, three pressures, two hurries, a sack, and a tackle for loss. He’ll have some tougher weeks, but he was worth every bit of his recent contract extension today.
Sam Darnold
This one could go on either list. Call quarterback Sam Darnold a Stud because he passed for 31-for-45 (68% completion), 379 yards, and four touchdowns? Or call him a Dud for two costly interceptions? Darnold made mistakes that might have cost the team the game, but also took charge of the team and was one of two offensive players whom they clearly trusted late. Darnold’s 5-for-5 drive in the fourth quarter looked as precise as any he’s ever led, but it came right after linebacker Kain Medrano’s 50-yard pick-six off him made it a two-score game. He gets a Stud nod for leading the team to 31 points — but the national media’s questioning of his abilities will emerge this week regardless.
DUDS
Josh Jobe
Josh Jobe has fixed the Seahawks’ cornerback room by replacing Tariq Woolen with nearly equal production value at a fraction of the cost. Commanders veteran wideout Terry McLaurin put him on his highlight reel today for a 30-yard touchdown, though, as he got turned around while trying to keep track of both the receiver and the football. It looks worse than it really is, but it’s one of the few times Jobe is caught without being overly cautious in zone coverage. He’s a physical, man-to-man specialist who stays deep, but excels at tackling and run support. He’s still an every-week starter, but look for him to establish that in a bounce back game against trigger-happy Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers receiving corps in Week 4.
AJ Finley
Julian Love was the best safety in the NFL through two weeks of the 2026 regular season, but his calf injury forced backup AJ Finley into his first career NFL start today. He played all 69 of Seattle’s defensive snaps, and although he tackled well, he only ended up with three total tackles, and two solo. It’s tough being compared to Love, but this team loves to rely on a deep safety who’s fast enough to fly downhill and help rack up tackles in run support. As head coach Mike Macdonald said in the article linked above, Finley’s “a great communicator, ball skills, all those things.” Those “things” came with sacrificing marginal speed advantages that proved incredibly valuable. Finley had trouble getting into the right areas in deep coverage and run defense, and lacked the burst to break on the good reads he was making. Watch the team’s plans with Finley this week.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks’ 4 Studs and 2 Duds in Week 3 loss to Commanders
