Seahawks Take 7-Point Edge Into Washington With Mariota Debuting as Starter

Seahawks Take 7-Point Edge Into Washington With Mariota Debuting as Starter

The Seattle Seahawks (2-0) travel to face the Washington Commanders (0-2) on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. Seattle enters as a 7-point favorite after opening the season with wins that included a Week 2 victory at Arizona, while Washington is still searching for its first win following a September 20 loss to Dallas.

That defeat came with a significant change at quarterback: Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow, and the Commanders have named Marcus Mariota their starter for Week 3. In relief against Dallas, Mariota completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, posting a 109.1 passer rating without an interception. Washington will lean on a run game averaging 157 yards per contest to ease the transition.

Seattle’s defense presents an early challenge, having allowed just 17 points through two games while tying for the league lead with 4 interceptions and adding 5 sacks. Offensively, quarterback Drew Lock has been efficient, throwing for 422 yards and 4 touchdowns without an interception, completing 72.9 percent of his passes. Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been Seattle’s top target, recording 17 catches for 277 yards and 4 touchdowns, including a three-touchdown, 155-yard performance against Arizona. On the other side, Washington’s Terry McLaurin has managed just 4 catches for 64 yards so far, facing a Commanders defense that has allowed 61 points and has yet to record an interception this season.

Sunday’s matchup will test whether Washington’s ground-first approach can support Mariota while limiting further exposure to a turnover-hungry Seattle defense. A win would keep the Seahawks unbeaten through three weeks, while a loss would drop the Commanders to 0-3 as they continue adjusting to life without Daniels under center.