Seahawks at. Commanders Preview (9-26-26)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: Washington Commanders
NORTHWEST STADIUM — Finally, the Washington Commanders return home for their home opener against the reigning Super Bowl LIX champs, Seattle Seahawks. Washington (0-2) enters the contest without star QB Jayden Daniels, who once again dislocated the same elbow he did last season against Seattle. The Commanders dropped their first two games of the season against division rivals: Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
Meanwhile, Seattle (2-0) has swiftly defeated the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals through its first two contests. Quarterback Sam Darnold is set to return from his glute injury he sustained early in the first quarter of the season opener.
Game Details
● Date: September 26th, 2026
● When: 1:00 p.m.
● Where: North West Stadium in Landover, Maryland
● How to listen: Official Washington Commanders Radio Broadcast
● How to watch: Fox
Injury Report
Washington
● LB Frankie Luvu (Out)- Groin
● S Nick Cross (Out)- Illness
● QB Jayden Daniels (Out)- Elbow
● RG Sam Cosmi (Out)- Throat/Face
● TE Chig Okonkwo (Out)- Hamstring
Seattle
● S Julian Love (Out)- Calf
● S Ty Okada (Out)- Hamstring
● NT Brandon Pili (Questionable)- Concussion
History vs. Seattle
Sunday’s game will be the 25th all-time meeting between the two franchises. Washington leads 13-11, with Seattle taking all three postseason matchups between the two teams.
Three Keys To Victory For Washington
1. Establish the run game early and throughout: Marcus Mariota is back as the starter, filling in for the injured Daniels. Mariota is a quarterback similar to Daniels, with the physical ability to be agile and use his legs to extend plays. But establishing the run game with “Bill” and Rachaad White will be instrumental in opening up big plays through the air. Last week, White hit the holes with good vision and looked agile and sharp, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. It’ll be hard to run against this stout defensive line in Seattle, led by Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, and Jarran Reed.
2. Pressure Sam Darnold: Last season, the Commanders saw what happened when they let Darnold have a clean pocket to sit back and find his weapons through the air. As of now, Washington has pressured opposing quarterbacks at 30.4%, which ranks 14th in the league and sits around the middle of the pack. If you can disrupt Darnold’s timing and force him outside, you can make it a little harder to move the ball, especially coming off injury. Need K’Lavon Chaisson, Odafe Oweh, Daron Payne, Dorrace Armstorng to cause havoc.
3. Don’t let JSN dictate the flow of the game: Let’s address the elephant in the room: star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Njigba is coming off a nine-reception, 155 receiving yards, and three touchdown receptions. That’s scary for a secondary that has just allowed CeeDee Lamb to go for eight receptions, 153 yards, and two touchdowns. Mike Sainristil needs to regain his confidence and play within the system Daronte Jones is trying to establish with this group. Rasaul Douglas should get more snaps, especially with the size and length he can provide on JSN. Amik Robertson should continue to play at a high level, rotating inside-outside, sporting a PPF grade of 83.3%, which is elite and 5th among all cornerbacks. The Washington safeties need to communicate better on the back end, especially in zone, and understand when to roll or pull off the receivers they’re responsible for.
