Down go the champs. For the first time since Week 11 of the 2025 season, the Seattle Seahawks have lost a football game. Seattle was upset by the Washington Commanders in a shocking 33-31 road loss, snapping their 12-game winning streak. The Seahawks fall to 2-1 in Sam Darnold's return to action.
It was an uneven game all around for Seattle, especially Darnold. Overall, Darnold played well, showing he had no rust to kick off. Darnold completed 31-of-45 passes for 379 yards and four touchdown passes. Unfortunately, Darnold did throw two brutal interceptions, including a 50-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter to give the Commanders a 33-24 lead. He did get the Seahawks back in a position late to win the game, completing 5-of-5 passes and a touchdown to make
it a 33-31 game, but Seattle's otherwise stellar defense could not get one final stop.
The Dark Side held the Commanders' rushing attack in check all day, but collapsed when they were needed most. On Washington's final possession, they were facing a 3rd-and-9 and the Seahawks had all three timeouts left. Running back Rachaad White took the hand off and blasted 19 yards to pick up the first down. Three plays later, quarterback Marcus Mariota rushed for 11 yards on 3rd-and-7 to ice the game.
Marcus Mariota is now 3-0 as a starter against the Seahawks, and he has done so on three different teams (Titans, Falcons, and now Commanders).
The story of the game are the turnovers. Seattle had three of them, and the Commanders scored 21 points off them. It's the first time Washington has done this since the 2005 season. Darnold had two picks like I mentioned earlier, and rookie running back Jadarian Price had his second fumble in as many weeks in the first quarter which led to Washington's first touchdown of the day. Ironically, it's also the first touchdown Seattle has surrendered in the first quarter since their Week 11 loss last season.
Another key failure by the Seahawks in Week 3 was their complete lack of a ground attack. It was tough sledding for Seattle ball carriers, who had only 44 yards rushing as a team. The leading rusher was Jadarian Price at 15! That is simply not going to get it done, and it made Seattle's offense far too one dimensional.
I will also note the Seahawks were far too aggressive at the goal line once again. For a second-straight week, Seattle went for it on 4th down at the two-yard line trailing 14-7. Instead of kicking the chip-shot field goal in the rain, Sam Darnold's pass to AJ Barner fell incomplete. I am once again banging the drum that Mike Macdonald (and other NFL head coaches) need to re-learn the value in "settling" for field goals, becuase you never know when an extra three points will come in handy! Like say, trailing by two points late! Would this field goal have won the Seahawks the game? Unknown. But what I do know is it's better to be the team protecting a 34-33 lead, forcing the opponent to drive for a win, instead of being the team trailing 33-31 trying to get a stop when all the opponent needs to do is pick up a few first downs.
If there are any positive takeaways, it's the fact Sam Darnold back under center does get this offense moving far better overall. Darnold did not take any sacks, and aside from the two picks he played reasonably well. His first interception was bounced off the helmet of a Commanders defensive lineman before getting picked off.
The Seahawks now return to Lumen Field for a Week 4 home game against the Los Angeles Chargers, who just fell to 0-3 with a loss to the Buffalo Bills. Seattle got punched in the mouth in Week 3 and exposed some cracks. They cannot afford to overlook another winless team, as a Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers looms large on the horizon.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks win streak snapped, lose 33-31 to Commanders in Week 3
