Seahawks Vs. Commanders, Week 3 Preview: Another Seahawks Blowout Win In Landover?

The Seattle Seahawks head to Washington on Sunday with Sam Darnold back and a chance to move to 3-0 for the second time under Mike Macdonald. The Washington Commanders, meanwhile, are 0-2 and will turn to Marcus Mariota after Jayden Daniels suffered an elbow injury against Dallas.

On paper, this is a game Seattle should be able to control. But that’s also what makes it so important for the Seahawks to remain focused.

Here are the biggest things to watch.

History, 3-0 starts and a familiar trip to Washington

The Seahawks have started a season 3-0 eight times in franchise history, most recently in 2024. Before that, Seattle opened 3-0 in 2020 and 2013, with the latter eventually ending in a Super Bowl championship. The 2024 team went on to finish 10-7.

Seattle also has plenty of recent history against Washington at Northwest Stadium.

The Seahawks won 38-14 in their most recent trip there in 2025. Before that, Seattle won 20-15 in 2020 but lost 17-15 in 2021. The Seahawks also won 27-17 in Washington in 2014.

Last year’s game is particularly relevant because Washington lost Daniels to an elbow injury in that matchup as well.

Now Seattle gets another chance to leave Washington with a win — and another opportunity to start a season 3-0.

The Seahawks’ biggest opponent might be the Seahawks

If there is one thing that could make this game more difficult than it needs to be, it might not be Washington.

It might be Seattle itself.

The Seahawks were a little sloppy in their season opener against the New England Patriots, committing 10 penalties for 98 yards. They also allowed Drake Maye to extend plays with his legs and create problems outside the pocket.

Last year’s game against Tennessee provides another useful reminder. The Titans entered that matchup as a significant underdog and still managed to put 24 points on Seattle, one of only a handful of teams to score more than 20 against the Seahawks all season. Seattle was dealing with injuries, including the absence of Ernest Jones, and the defense ultimately settled down and secured a 30-24 win. But Tennessee was able to create enough good moments to make a game that looked favorable on paper much more uncomfortable than expected.

That’s the type of situation Seattle has to avoid against Washington.

The Commanders are 0-2 and will be without Daniels, while Seattle’s defense has allowed only 17 points through two games. None of that means much if the Seahawks give Washington unnecessary opportunities through penalties, missed assignments or defensive breakdowns.

There is also a much more difficult stretch coming immediately afterward, with the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs waiting in four of the next five weeks. Seattle has no reason to look beyond Washington yet. The Seahawks need to play this game on its own terms and show the difference between being the more talented team and actually playing like one.

Keep Marcus Mariota in the pocket

This is one of the biggest jobs for Seattle’s defense on Sunday.

Mariota only threw for 111 yards after replacing Daniels against Dallas, completing 11 of 16 passes, but his value comes from what happens when the play breaks down. He can escape pressure, extend the play and force a defense to cover for longer than it wants to.

Seattle has already dealt with that problem this season.

Drake Maye ran seven times for 47 yards against the Seahawks in Week 1, and several of his most important plays came when he escaped the pocket and extended drives. Jacoby Brissett presented a very different challenge in Week 2. He was not the same threat as a runner, and Seattle’s defense was able to keep Arizona much more contained, holding the Cardinals to only 151 total yards.

Mariota is much closer to Maye in that regard than Brissett.

The Seahawks’ pass rush therefore needs to be disciplined. Getting pressure is important, but maintaining rush lanes and keeping Mariota inside the pocket may be even more important. Seattle needs to make him consistently win from the pocket rather than allowing him to turn broken plays into first downs with his legs.

JSN, Shaheed, and Horton need to make Washington pay

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been spectacular through two games, with 17 catches for 277 yards and four touchdowns playing with Drew Lock. After his nine-catch, 155-yard, three-touchdown performance against Arizona, he will naturally attract plenty of attention from Washington’s defense.

That’s where Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton become important.

Shaheed has had a relatively quiet start, with 39 receiving yards through two games, and this could be an opportunity for him to make a bigger impact with his speed and ability to stretch the field. Horton was also relatively quiet in his first game, but he has already shown that he can hurt Washington, catching four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle’s 38-14 win over the Commanders last season.

Seattle doesn’t need to force the ball to either receiver. But if Washington puts additional attention on JSN, the Seahawks need Shaheed and Horton to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way.

Another test for the offensive line and running game

Seattle has rushed for 259 yards through two games, averaging 4.2 yards per carry, and the running game has provided a useful complement to the passing attack.

Washington’s run defense has already shown some vulnerability. Philadelphia ran for 136 yards against the Commanders in Week 1, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

That gives Seattle another matchup worth watching.

If the Seahawks can establish the run early, they can make Washington’s pass rush less effective, control the tempo and force the Commanders to commit more defenders to the box. That, in turn, should create more favorable opportunities for Seattle’s receivers.

It will also be another test for the offensive line. If Seattle can consistently create movement up front, the offense should have multiple ways to attack Washington rather than relying entirely on the passing game.

Final thoughts

This is a game where Seattle needs to avoid making things harder than they have to be. Washington is dealing with a quarterback change and enters the matchup without a win, but that doesn’t mean the Commanders can’t take advantage of mistakes. The Seahawks have already seen how quickly a mobile quarterback can extend drives, and they have also seen against Tennessee how an opponent can hang around much longer than expected when the circumstances allow it.

A clean, disciplined performance would put Seattle in position to do what it should against an 0-2 opponent: control the line of scrimmage, limit Mariota’s ability to create outside the pocket, take advantage of opportunities in the passing game and keep Washington from finding a way back into the game.

And with the 49ers, Broncos and Chiefs waiting over the next several weeks, this is an important opportunity for Seattle to show that it can handle the games it is supposed to handle before the schedule gets considerably tougher.