Linebacker Kain Medrano gave the Washington Commanders the break they needed on Sunday. His 50-yard interception return in the fourth quarter gave his squad a late touchdown to seal a 33-31 victory over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks trailed by just a field goal with less than five minutes remaining. But Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold floated a pass to the middle of the field that Medrano snagged in stride. The linebacker shrugged off Darnold and receiver Rasheed Shaheed en route to the end zone.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota impressed for Washington in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, completing 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns.
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Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold — in his first game since injuring his glute in the season opener on Sept. 9 — matched Mariota throughout the game. Seattle’s championship-winning quarterback threw for 379 yards and four scores, though two interceptions haunted him.
His favorite target — Jaxon Smith-Njigba — continued his sterling start to the season. The dynamic pass-catcher hauled in another 10 receptions for 128 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Smith-Njigba tortured the Commanders’ defense in what was otherwise a promising day for Washington’s defenders.
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After the two teams exchanged punts to start the game, the Commanders defense forced its first turnover of the season. Commanders cornerback Amik Robertson stripped the ball away from Seahawks running back Jadarian Price. Defensive tackle Tim Settle recovered it, giving Washington excellent field position for its second drive.
They capitalized.
After a trio of runs by Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Mariota tossed a tight-window pass to running back Rachaad White for a six-yard touchdown.
Washington’s early 7-0 lead almost doubled. After forcing another Seahawks three-and-out, the Commanders marched down the field. Croskey-Merritt broke free for a 48-yard scamper that could’ve set Washington up with another first-and-goal. But the run was called back for an illegal formation — there was no receiver aligned next to right tackle Josh Conerly.
The Commanders punted two plays later.
Washington’s defense couldn’t keep an efficient Seattle attack off the board forever. Reigning Offensive Player of the Year Smith-Njigba woke up at the end of the first quarter. He recorded three catches for 32 yards on the Seahawks’ next drive. The pass-catcher ended the possession with a one-yard touchdown grab from quarterback Sam Darnold to even the score.
The Commanders offense couldn’t match Smith-Njigba’s star power, but they responded with a long drive of their own. Chunk plays by depth receivers like Jaylin Lane and Antonio Williams paved the way for an 11-yard strike to Treylon Burks to double Washington’s lead.
The defense held up their end to close the first half as well. Washington’s defenders managed a goal-line stand, holding Seattle out of the end zone to maintain the advantage.
The Commanders walked into the halftime locker room with an unexpected 17-10 lead after the squads’ kickers exchanged 57-yard field goals in the final minute of the first half.
The early momentum followed the underdog Commanders into the second half. Defensive tackle Tim Settle tipped a Darnold pass at the line of scrimmage, allowing rookie linebacker Sonny Styles to come down with the first interception of his career.
Mariota found his third touchdown pass of the day just three plays later on a well-placed back-shoulder throw to Terry McLaurin 30 yards down the field. The early second-half strike gave the Commanders a 24-10 advantage, their first two-score lead of the young season.
It didn’t last. The Seahawks stormed back.
Darnold dissected Washington’s secondary on an eight-play, 60-yard scoring drive with five consecutive completions, including a 13-yard toss to tight end Eric Saubert, who bulldozed his way past the goal line for a touchdown.
Styles jostled the ball out of Saubert’s arms on the score, but the big-bodied tight end recovered the ball in the end zone for the score.
The Seahawks scored again on their next drive, this time on an 11-yard pass to Smith-Njigba after another methodical march into Washington territory. The touchdown — Darnold’s third of the game — knotted the score at 24.
But the Commanders weren’t willing to roll over and allow the Seahawks to secure the comeback without a fight. Mariota engineered a 12-play drive that ate 7 minutes of the fourth-quarter clock, culminating in a 36-yard field goal to give Washington a 27-24 lead.
The Commanders needed their defense to make one more stand with four minutes remaining.
They did that and more. Medrano’s interception returned for a touchdown gave the Commanders a two-possession lead.
But the Seahawks stormed right back. They covered 68 yards in 66 seconds, with another passing touchdown to cut the Commanders’ lead to two points.
Washington’s offense held up their end of the bargain. The offense wouldn’t allow the potent Seahawks back onto the field, with Mariota ending the game with a 9-yard scramble to run out the clock.
The Commanders (1-2) head to London next week for a date with the Indianapolis Colts. The Seahawks (2-1) play the Los Angeles Chargers.
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