The Seattle Seahawks knew heading into Week 3 against the Washington Commanders that they were in decent shape to begin the season. Head coach Mike Macdonald's team was 2-0, despite some significant injuries. A victory against the Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders seemed likely, right? Not so fast.
Still, Seattle was facing Washington without both starting safeties, Julian Love and Ty Okada, and the weather in Landover, Maryland, was not good, with steady rain and gusty winds. The question before the game was whether the recent Nor'easter would be as much a reason for a loss by the Seahawks as the team they were facing.
The Seahawks and their fans were bound to learn something new, no matter what occurred. Unfortunately, that was a 33-31 loss. A lot of the season is left, but let's hope Seattle doesn't regret losing a winnable game.
Immediate reactions from the Seattle Seahawks first loss of 2026
The Seahawks were outplayed by the Commanders and Seattle deserved to lose
As much as Seattle should be proud of its comeback from 24-10 down, the fact that they were even able to tie the game seemed like a lie. When Washington needed a bit of play, it got one, including a 50-yard pick-six and a run on third down around the end to pick up a first down on the final drive to force Seattle to use its timeouts.
Seattle didn't play badly, but their first turnovers of the season turned into their first loss of the season. That isn't a coincidence, and Washington was the one making those turnovers happen. Of the two teams, it was the Commanders that made plays when they needed.
Jadarian Price has to hold onto the ball better
Price is the most talented running back that the Seahawks have, of course, but he can't keep coughing the ball up. Two fumbles in two straight games are unacceptable and should get a player benched, which is what happened in the first half.
Will Price likely be productive back in his career? Sure, but if he fumbles again soon, he can't play. His first-half turnover against the Commanders changed the course of the game. Such mistakes will continue to do so.
AJ Finley cannot continue to play
Finley hasn't started any games in his career for a reason. He isn't very good. He is well-liked by his teammates and works hard, but he simply doesn't have the coverage skills to be a good player. He was called for a bad penalty in the fourth quarter, one that wasn't his fault, but his coverage mistakes were.
Hopefully, Ty Okada and Julian Love will return soon. Had they played in Week 3, the Seattle Seahawks would likely have won the game. But there can be no excuses in the NFL, and players like Finley need to be able to step up.
The game might be a positive for the Seahawks
To be fair, Seattle likely can't play much worse than it did at times against the Commanders. Careless mistakes were unlike a Mike Macdonald team, and those things will be corrected. If anything, a team that got so used to winning knows it can lose.
Perhaps the loss to a less-talented team will allow the Seahawks to focus more. Expect a different version in Week 4, though getting Love and Okada back will be most helpful.
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