Trio of turnovers sink Seattle Seahawks in 33-31 loss to Commanders
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders reacts after play against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium on September 27, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
A trio of turnovers from the Seattle Seahawks helped snap a run of 12 consecutive victories in a 33-31 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Jadarian Price lost a fumble early, and Sam Darnold was intercepted twice – including a pick-six with four minutes left to play – as Seattle suffered its first defeat since a 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last November 16.
The pick-six from Kain Medrano gave Washington a 33-24 lead with 3:57 left to play, but Darnold led an expedient touchdown drive to cut the lead to two with 2:51 remaining.
The Seahawks forced Washington into a third-and-9 with 1:55 remaining and all three timeouts still in hand with a prime chance to get the ball back for a chance at a winning drive. However, Rachaad White broke free around the right end for a 19-yard gain, and a read-option keeper from quarterback Marcus Mariota on third-and-7 with 1:36 remaining served as the final blows.
The backstory:
Darnold threw for 379 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in his first full game of the season, but the two interceptions in the second half were extremely costly. The three turnovers led directly to 13 points for the Commanders, who didn't turn the ball over once.
Price fumbled on the second drive of the game for Seattle to give Washington a prime scoring opportunity inside Seahawks' territory. It was the second straight week Price has lost a fumble for Seattle, and he was subsequently benched for most of the first half.
Just four plays later, Marcus Mariota connected with running back Rachaad White on a 6-yard touchdown that gave the Commanders a 7-0 lead.
Darnold got off to a bit of a slow start for Seattle before rounding into form. A nine-play, 90-yard scoring drive featured a 20-yard completion to Smith-Njigba, a 32-yard catch-and-run from A.J. Barner, and a 20-yard strike to fullback Brady Russell down to the Washington 1-yard line. Smith-Njigba polished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown for his fifth of the year to tie the game at 7-7.
An 11-yard touchdown pass to Treylon Burks by Mariota put Washington back out front, 14-7, in the second quarter.
Another promising Seattle drive came up empty as they were turned away at the goal line for a second straight week on fourth down. Seattle forced a quick punt and managed to get three more points on the board before the half courtesy of a 57-yard Jason Myers field goal, but Washington answered with a 57-yard kick from Drew Stevens to take a 17-10 lead into the half.
The second turnover of the day by Seattle's offense came on an unfortunate bounce. Darnold's pass intended for Smith-Njigba deflected off the helmet of defensive lineman Tim Settle into the air as Sonny Styles came down with it for Washington. It was the first interception for a Seattle quarterback this season, as Drew Lock was clean in the first two games for the Seahawks.
Washington converted that into another score as Mariota connected with Terry McLaurin on a 30-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 24-10.
The Seahawks bounced back as Darnold connected with Eric Saubert for a 13-yard touchdown to trim the lead to 24-17 on the ensuing possession. An 11-yard touchdown pass from Darnold to Smith-Njigba with 11:53 remaining tied the game at 24-24. It was Smith-Njigba's sixth touchdown already this season.
A 36-yard field goal from Stevens put Washington back out front, 27-24, with 4:34 left to play as Seattle took the field on offense with a chance to take the lead. Instead, Darnold was pressured into a throw for Barner that was undercut by Medrano. The 50-yard interception return touchdown extended the lead to 33-24 with 3:57 remaining following a missed extra point try by Stevens.
Darnold and Smith-Njigba connected on three straight plays for 44 yards in total as Seattle ripped down the field. Cooper Kupp's 7-yard touchdown cut the lead to two, but the Seahawks were unable to get the ball back for one final drive.
Smith-Njigba finished with 10 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns as his tremendous start to the 2026 season continued.
The Source: Information in this story comes from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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