The Washington Commanders needed a bounce-back win at the halfway point of the NFL season.
Instead, they lost big during Week 9 — twice.
In the midst of being routed at home, 38-14, Washington’s second-year star quarterback, Jayden Daniels, was injured after falling awkwardly midway through the fourth quarter while the game was no longer in doubt. His left, non-throwing arm, was immobilized and he walked off under his own power and received X-rays.
Washington fell to 3-6 — more losses than it suffered all of last season. Daniels had missed last week with a hamstring injury, and two previous games this season because of a knee strain. The Commanders were trailing by 31 points at the time of his injury.
For the Commanders, the loss highlighted their struggles to produce an encore for last season’s NFC championship-game appearance. For the Seahawks, it made the case as to why they, perhaps, could be on the path to a conference title-game appearance this season.
Since the start of last season, no NFL team has been harder to beat when on the road than Seattle. After dismantling Washington on “Sunday Night Football,” the Seahawks improved that road record to 11-1, including 11 straight road wins, during a rout that appeared at times almost breathtakingly effortless.
Seattle scored on all five of its first-half drives. It gained 190 more yards than Washington in the first half alone, and averaged nine more yards per play. And while improving to 6-2, it looked like one of the best teams in the NFC, in a season where no team has asserted itself in either conference as one to fear.
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold completed 17 consecutive passes at one point to tie Warren Moon for the franchise record, and did not throw a single incompletion during a statistically perfect first half in which he threw for four touchdowns. He finished with 330 passing yards, those four touchdowns, with an interception.Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 129 of those yards for Seattle, to add to the NFL-high 819 receiving yards that he entered Week 9 with.
Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft who went to become last season’s offensive rookie of the year, was sacked four times while throwing for 153 yards and rushing for 51 more, with a touchdown on the ground. Playing while recovering from a hamstring injury, Daniels was not as explosive as possible, and was caught while attempting to reach the end zone in the fourth quarter before he fell awkwardly on his arm.
Author: rahul.singh@faredestination.com
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