Commanders End Seahawks' 12-Game Winning Streak

Marcus Mariota threw three touchdown passes, and linebacker Kain Medrano returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown, as the Washington Commanders beat the Seattle Seahawks 33⁠–⁠31 on Sunday, 27 September, in Landover, Maryland, ending Seattle's 12-game winning streak, which began last November and included its playoff run to last season's Super Bowl title (AP / ABC News; Guardian; CBS Sports). The game, Washington's home opener, was played at Northwest Stadium in front of 64,027 fans (ESPN; AP / ABC News).

Mariota, starting in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, threw scoring passes to Rachaad White, Treylon Burks and Terry McLaurin (AP / ABC News). The quarterback, the player who throws the passes, completed 19 of 31 for 183 yards with no interceptions; the touchdowns covered 6, 11 and 30 yards (ESPN). "The more that adversity hits, the more that the circumstances kind of pin us against the wall, these guys find a way," Mariota said (AP / ABC News).

Medrano's interception return with 3:57 left put Washington (1⁠–⁠2) ahead 33⁠–⁠24 after a missed extra point; Sam Darnold answered with a 7-yard touchdown to Cooper Kupp to make it 33⁠–⁠31, but Washington kept the ball with two key first downs to run out the clock (AP / ABC News). An interception is a pass caught by the defense. Medrano, a backup, stepped in front of a Darnold pass over the middle 37 seconds of game time after Drew Stevens's 36-yard field goal had put Washington ahead 27⁠–⁠24 (AP / ABC News; ESPN). After a touchdown, a team kicks for one extra point; a penalty during the celebration pushed Stevens's kick back 15 yards, and he missed it (AP / ABC News). Darnold then completed three straight passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba before finding Kupp with 2:51 left (AP / ABC News; ESPN).

In football, a team gets four plays to move the ball 10 yards; making it earns a first down, a fresh set of four plays, and lets the team keep the ball and the clock running. On the final drive, White ran 19 yards around the right side when Washington needed 9, and Mariota ran 9 yards when it needed 7 (AP / ABC News). Both came on the third of Washington's four tries, a spot where it had succeeded only once in 11 attempts before that drive (AP / ABC News). "One turns into two, two turns into three. Ball just falls that way," Medrano said. "That momentum that we have, we're hunting the ball" (AP / ABC News).

ESPN's scoring summary traces the swings. A fumble by Seattle rookie running back Jadarian Price gave Washington the ball at the Seattle 21, and Mariota's pass to White opened the scoring (AP / ABC News; ESPN). A long touchdown run by Jacory Croskey-Merritt that would have made it 14⁠–⁠0 was called back for an illegal formation penalty (AP / ABC News). Darnold's 1-yard pass to Smith-Njigba tied it at 7, Burks put Washington back ahead, and Jason Myers and Stevens traded 57-yard field goals in the last minute of the half, Stevens's on the final play, for a 17⁠–⁠10 Washington lead (ESPN; AP / ABC News). McLaurin's catch made it 24⁠–⁠10; Darnold's 13-yard pass to tight end Eric Saubert and an 11-yard pass to Smith-Njigba with 11:53 left tied it at 24 (ESPN).

Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns for Seattle (2⁠–⁠1); Darnold was intercepted twice in his return from an injury in the season's first game (AP / ABC News). Darnold, back from a glute injury, completed 31 of 45 passes for 379 yards and four touchdowns; rookie linebacker Sonny Styles made Washington's other interception (ESPN; AP / ABC News). Smith-Njigba, who also completed a short pass on a trick play, became the second player with at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of his team's first three games of a season, after Jerry Rice for San Francisco in 1989 (AP / ABC News).

Coach Dan Quinn said linebacker Leo Chenal, carted off with a neck injury in the second quarter, had feeling in his extremities at the hospital (AP / ABC News). His teammates came off the sideline to surround him while he was treated on the field; Washington was already without linebacker Frankie Luvu, out with a groin injury (AP / ABC News). "We're definitely thinking of him," Quinn said. "He's a great teammate. We love him" (AP / ABC News).

Seattle hosts the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday; Washington faces the Indianapolis Colts in London (AP / ABC News).