There was no "Dark Side" to the Seattle Seahawks' defense on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. The game itself was a dark one, and especially on defense, one to forget. With Jayden Daniels out, Marcus Mariota stepped in at quarterback and led the upset over the Seahawks by outsmarting the best parts of Seattle's defense.
It's not as if Mariota had a field day; he threw for under 200 yards and threw fewer than 20 passes total, but he was efficient, with three touchdowns, a 110 quarterback rating, and zero turnovers. As a backup, the best thing you can do for your team is be efficient over gaudy numbers, and protect the football at all costs. Mariota aced it.
Whether Mariota beat the Seahawks' defense or they beat themselves is another question, though. No one, including Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, walked away from that game impressed with the defensive output.
The Seattle Seahawks have only themselves to blame on defense
After the game, Macdonald said the Seahawks' defense failed to pressure Mariota enough, which ultimately opened the door for the veteran to lead his team to an upset win. Throughout the game, Seattle's defenders appeared unable to read the Commanders' schemes, which used simple switches and run-pass options.
Mariota's frequent use of short check-downs was the main reason he accounted for just 183 passing yards, but it also troubled the Seahawks' defense, as they were unable to disrupt any of them. Instead of forcing the football downfield, Mariota did what the Seahawks allowed him to do, and it hurt them in the end.
The lack of a pass rush may have been the nail in the coffin, and Macdonald lamented it as well. Despite a sack from Derick Hall, two from Leonard Williams, and nine quarterback hits in total, Mariota still used his legs for the most part throughout. Mariota's game-sealing nine-yard run, which went unstopped, was the final gut punch.
In Macdonald's eyes, the pressure the Seahawks’ defense generated wasn't enough; they lacked aggression. That said, what they did manage against Mariota could have been enough if not for Sam Darnold's pick-six. It was a winnable game for the Seahawks, but turnovers also played a part in their downfall just as much as the defensive lapses.
If Seahawks fans can take anything positive from Week 3, it's that games like these are few and far between. Seattle's defense is simply too great to beat itself, as it did in Washington. Furthermore, Macdonald is too great a coach to let it repeat the following week.
Mariota bested them on Sunday, but you'd better believe Seattle's defense will be ready for the next quarterback they face.
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