Seahawks @ Commanders
Final Score: Seahawks 38, Commanders 14
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1.bsky.social on Bluesky)
An innovative, accomplished performance on both sides of the ball saw the resurgent Seattle Seahawks annihilate the dismal Washington Commanders on a night to remember for Sam Darnold. The new Seahawks franchise quarterback went 16-for-16 for 282 yards and four passing touchdowns in the first half alone to catapult his team to a dominant 31-7 lead. Returning Commanders signal-caller Jayden Daniels stood little chance once his team coughed up a kickoff return as the Washington defense crumbled on four straight drives. Daniels did throw an interception too, on a ball he tried to throw out of bounds under heavy pressure from Seattle star cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who was returning from a long-term injury issue. Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald was merciless in his responses to both turnovers – the first, a surgical 7-play, 60-yard drive that Darnold polished off with a lovely deep ball to emerging rookie Tory Horton; the second, an immediate 26-yard strike to another rookie wideout, second-round selection Elijah Arroyo. Game over by halftime.
The Commanders showed a bit more spirit in the second half, but it was too many bridges too far. Daniels had to try to sustain drives single-handedly, and his determination has to be commended, but one man does not make an offense. And when the Seahawks’ offense played it more conservatively with the run, the Seattle defense didn’t allow Washington any room to get back into the contest. A game-sealing 9-play, 60-yard touchdown drive was the end of the road for Washington, who then continued to roll out the starters. This proved to be a costly decision as Daniels took one hit too many and was immediately down with an immobilized arm. He was helped off the field, and Washington fans will be fearing the worst.
Three Up
- Tory Horton – the fifth-round selection has enjoyed his development so far in the NFL, outperforming second-round pass-catching tight end Arroyo and finding his footing as a weapon in this Seattle offense quickly. He is a sharp route runner, and that earned him two scores in a lightning-fast first-half attack from the Seahawks
- Sam Darnold – if anyone thought paying Darnold was a risk, this performance set the record straight. Paying him looks like a bargain, and a solid investment alongside a young, exciting offense that will only get better with experience. Darnold’s 300+ yards game was topped off with all those passing scores!
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba – a true elite weapon for this offense, JSN is the most explosive wideout in the league through nine games.
Two Down
- Washington DST – yikes, this could be the worst defense in the league, and the lack of big play ability alongside the special teams mishaps means they are a fantasy liability
- Jacory Croskey-Merrett – it’s been a “Jekyll and Hyde” type season for the man they call “Bill,” and every time he has come up against a competent defensive interior, he’s failed to make any impact – thus was the case tonight with a measly return between the numbers. So much so that Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw more playing time due to his ineffectiveness.
Major injury
- Jayden Daniels – the Commanders’ franchise quarterback exited with a serious arm injury, and it was later confirmed that he had dislocated his elbow and will be out indefinitely
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 21/24, 330 Yards, 4 TD, INT
A masterful performance from Darnold, who looks at ease in this offense, picking apart defenses under center, excelling on bootleg and play action. Two touchdown scoring drives to open the game highlighted his proficiency in this offense under Klint Kubiak. Darnold’s ability to progress through his reads and execute on instinct is the biggest improvement in his game, and working with Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota last year needs to be attributed to this fact. There were a number of throws in which he pump faked for the initial option and then immediately pivoted to an alternate read seamlessly. His throw of the day was a beautiful deep ball down the right sideline for JSN for 26 yards that set up a field goal at the end of the first half – it was a perfect example of his comfort in the pocket and his ability to make high-quality throws downfield. His chemistry with JSN is as good, if not better, than the link he shared with Justin Jefferson last year. The two connected eight times for 129 yards, and all that was missing was a touchdown. Instead, Darnold rewarded his young receivers with opportunities to hit paydirt, with Horton and then Arroyo benefitting from perfect throws. Darnold capped a sensational first-half showing with a dart to Cody White, who was only elevated from the practice squad this weekend – his first career touchdown on only his ninth career catch since joining the league as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Unreal! Darnold now has three 20+ fantasy points games in his last four starts and looks locked into this offense with a plethora of offensive weapons. Get excited for the second half of the year, fantasy fans.
Running Back
Kenneth Walker: 11 Carries, 42 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 19 Yards
Splitting the backfield heavily with his running mate Zach Charbonnet, Walker ran effectively on just 11 carries and also caught two passes out of the backfield, the first a nice 14-yard gain on third down out of the slot on third down that he took to the Washington 13-yard line to set up the first touchdown of the game. Walker saw nearly all his work in the first half and suffered from the game script blowing out significantly by the end of the third quarter. He had a chance to punch the ball in from the Commanders’ 2-yard line at the end of the third quarter but was stuffed in a heavy box before watching tight end AJ Barner take a direct snap in for the score. That hurts for fantasy managers. The Seahawks then turned to the backups in the final quarter with the game more than settled. A disappointing fantasy return for the fourth straight game, but a friendly schedule and a competitive NFC West will make him fantasy relevant down the stretch.
Zach Charbonnet: 8 Carries, 25 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 21 Yards
George Holani: 3 Carries, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 9 Targets, 8 Receptions, 129 Yards | 1 Carry, 11 Yards
A superstar is rising. JSN was everywhere in this contest, all across the formation, making every type of route and catching eight of the nine targets thrown his way. It was his fourth game on the trot with exactly eight catches, and in that span, he has amassed 557 yards and three scores to take his season total to an amazing 948 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He has over 100 yards in six of his eight starts and has established himself not only as the Seahawks’ lead wideout but one of the best in the NFL at every level. With a pass-happy quarterback in a high-functioning offense, JSN is on course for a mammoth fantasy year. The first big splash play of the game came from Seattle’s new alpha receiver as he shredded coverage and took a seam route for 14 yards. His ability to create separation is his best asset, and once he does, he has breakaway speed. It was also worth noting that for the first Seahawks touchdown, three Commanders defenders tracked JSN in the endzone. He draws so much attention that it opens up more options for the offense.
Cody White: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 60 Yards, TD
Tory Horton: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 48 Yards, 2 TD
The news of Cooper Kupp‘s absence from the offense for this game allowed rookie Tory Horton to build on a promising if not bit-part start to his NFL career. A beautiful exhibition of route running from Horton on two separate plays that both resulted in touchdowns ensured he made an immediate impact. The first was a release to the back of the end zone for a 5-yard score to give the Seahawks the lead before the rookie burned the Commanders’ secondary deep to streak away and haul in a perfect ball from his quarterback for a 25-yard touchdown to extend the lead midway through the second quarter. Horton didn’t see much action after halftime, but then again, Darnold hardly threw the ball, and Seattle focused on getting through the game running out the clock.
Elijah Arroyo: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 29 Yards, TD
AJ Barner: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards | 1 Carry, 1 Yard, TD
The ultimate touchdown vulture in this game, tight end Barner hit paydirt for the first time in his career as a rusher to go along with four scores through the air to already eclipse his yardage and touchdown totals this year compared to his rookie year. It is encouraging that Barner is being used in more ways than just a blocker and pass-catcher, and that can only increase his usage and snap count. He is a tight end to acquire and watch in this offense alongside rookie Arroyo, as Seattle once again loves to line up with two tight ends on the field.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: 16/22, 153 Yards, INT | 10 Carries, 51 Yards, TD
The returning franchise quarterback limited himself to short passing for much of the first half, focusing on slants, screens, and bullets into the slot. On a 3rd & 17, down by a touchdown in the second quarter, he uncharacteristically lobbed one up down the right sideline under heavy pressure, and a great catch (and first career interception) from Ty Okada saw the first turnover of the game. The Seahawks punished the error, and on the following kickoff, Jaylin Lane coughed up the ball to give Seattle the ball back. Suddenly, it was 21-0 after just 14 offensive plays for Washington. Daniels then sought to do more himself on the ground, and his 51 yards and goal line score gave the Commanders a sliver of hope just before the break. A resolute Seattle defense wasn’t in the mood for easy yards, however, and after an early third-quarter punt, Daniels went for it on 4th & 15 in Seattle territory but could not make the line to gain. Daniels then worked the ball deep into Seattle territory midway through the fourth quarter before a vicious sack caused the injury that looks to be season-ending. Marcus Mariota handed the ball off to Rodriguez Jr. for a score, but failed to attempt a pass as the Commanders waved the red flag with seven straight runs to run down the clock and put the crowd out of its misery. A disastrous return to action for Daniels and the Commanders.
Note: Daniels lost another receiving weapon on the opening kickoff as Luke McCaffrey was ruled out immediately after suffering a painful-looking shoulder injury after a 19-yard kickoff return.
Running Back
Chris Rodriguez Jr.: 12 Carries, 65 Yards, TD
The backup to the backup benefitted from 30 yards of garbage time yards on the final drive, as well as rumbling in from 2 yards out for a score on the play after Daniels exited the game. However, the journeyman back had already entered the game in favor of Croskey-Merrett due to the rookie’s ineffectiveness to start the contest. Don’t look for any breakout here; this was mostly game script and protecting assets from the Commanders’ offense.
Jacory Croskey-Merrett: 12 Carries, 38 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
A tough night against a stout Seattle defense from the late-round rookie, who showed his limitations as a runner and lacked any sign of a big play. It has been a consistent issue for the rookie against some of the better defenses in the league. Apart from two encouraging performances, “Bill” has now failed to muster more than 68 scrimmage yards in four straight contests and has been held without a touchdown in each of those games. Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury turned to Rodriguez Jr. midway through the second quarter to try to inject some life into the rushing attack and bar a couple of late garbage time carries, the rookie faded away from relevance once again in this game. He holds a thin thread to a starting role.
Jeremy McNichols: 1 Carry, 0 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Zach Ertz: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 46 Yards
Daniels targeted his safety blanket early & often to negate the absence of “Scary” Terry McLaurin, with Ertz catching the first three completed passes from Daniels in the first two series. However, that was about as good as it got, as he only hauled in one more pass on a miserable night for the Commanders’ receivers. That pass was at least one of the longest plays of the night for Washington, a 25-yard grab on the opening drive of the second half. The veteran tight end has been a reliable target, and his four touchdowns have offered decent fantasy value.
Deebo Samuel: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 41 Yards | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Leading the team in targets and catches on an unspectacular night is no fantasy solace, but on the one occasion he did get a chance to make his mark, Deebo looked explosive on a 19-yard catch and run to open the first series of the second half. The majority of his other touches came on short routes with little chance to run.
Jaylin Lane: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 29 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
The rookie has seen an increase in opportunities recently, but his mistake on fumbling a kickoff return with his team already down 14-0 was a killer for the Commanders. It is the second time this season he has fumbled the ball away on special teams, alongside a couple of close shaves elsewhere.
John Bates: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards
Treylon Burks: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards