The Seahawks head east this weekend for a Week 3 matchup against Washington, their second straight year heading toNorthwest Stadium to face the Commanders. Washington is off to an 0-2 start, and unfortunately saw starting quarterback Jayden Daniels go down to an elbow injury in last week's game. That means the Seahawks will be facing Marcus Mariota, a 12th-year veteran who played well in relief of Daniels last week, and who also happens to be 2-0 as a starting quarterback against Seattle, though the most recent of those wins came four years ago when he played for the Falcons.
The 2-0 Seahawks, on the other hand, appear to have a good chance of getting back quarterback Sam Darnold, who missed last weekend's game due to a glute injury suffered in the opener. And even if Darnold does need another week to be game ready, the Seahawks are fully confident in Drew Lock, who leads the NFL in passer rating (127.3) through two games.
In addition to the two teams' changing situations at quarterback, here are five things to watch when the Seahawks face the Commanders on Sunday.
1. Can the Seahawks continue their road dominance and win another game in the early time slot?
Seasoned Seahawks fans remember when a 10 a.m. PT kickoff was the most dreaded possible sight on an NFL schedule, but those days are long gone, with Pete Carroll's teams, then Mike Macdonald's finding a winning formula that translates to the road, even when traveling east and playing at a time that feels early for body clocks used to the West Coast.
In his first two seasons as head coach, Macdonald led the Seahawks to a 15-2 road record, the second-best road record to start a career behind only George Seiftert, who went 16-1 on the road in his first two seasons with the 49ers in 1989 and 1990. The Seahawks are off to a 1-0 road start this year after Sunday's win in Arizona, and dating back to 2018, they're now 25-7 in the eastern time zone, and 24-5 in games kicking off at 10 a.m. PT.
"I'm honestly not sure what it is," receiver Cooper Kupp said of the team's success traveling east. "I don't know if it's the extra time of guys all together. I'm not sure what it is, but we've found ways to be successful, to be able to be locked in and ready to go, no matter whether it's 10 o'clock type of kickoffs on these east coast trips. Guys have done a great job. We've got a lot of people here that put a lot of time into making sure there's a plan that we feel good about executing in terms of the nutrition staff, the training staff. So many people that pour a lot of time into making sure that plan is dialed in. Whatever we've been doing, we've been doing a good job of it."
2. Do the Seahawks continue to eliminate explosives while facing a quarterback who likes to push the ball down the field?
The Seahawks defense has pulled off a rather remarkable feat to start the season, playing two full games without allowing a single play of 20 or more yards, making them the only team in the league to accomplish that. Last week, the Cardinals didn't have a pass play longer than 9 yards, and would have gone the entire game without an offensive play gaining 10 or more yards if not for an 18-yard rush against a mostly backup defense on the penultimate play of the game with the clock winding down.
"Understanding the game plan, understand how to execute it, and it starts with communicating at all three levels," defensive coordinator Aden Durde said when asked how the defense has been so effective eliminating explosive plays. "They have to be connected, because this is the NFL. People are looking for breakdown in communication, they're looking to challenge your rules, challenge how you play, shifts and motions, get you out of position. Those are the things that create explosives. Those are the things that create free runners. You have to keep honing those skills, and the coaches have done a great job so far, and you have to keep pushing and keep growing those."
To keep that streak of not allowing plays of 20-plus yards going, the Seahawks will have to slow down a quarterback who likes to be aggressive throwing down field. While some backup quarterbacks might like to play it safe when filling in for an injured starter, that's not how Mariota plays. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Mariota has thrown downfield (10-plus air yards) on 44.4 percent of his attempts since the start of last season, the highest rate among quarterbacks with 200 or more attempts, and he completed 50.9 percent of those attempts, just a bit better than the league average of 49.9 percent. The Seahawks meanwhile, are the only defense in the NFL with more interceptions (4) than completions allowed (3) when facing downfield throws this season.
3. Can Seattle's offense improve in the red zone?
There's a lot to like about what the Seahawks have done on offense so far this year, especially in last week's win, but there's always room to grow, and one area in which the Seahawks definitely want to improve is the red zone. Granted, it's a small sample size so far, but the Seahawks have managed touchdowns on only 3 of 7 trips into the red zone this season, including a trip that saw them run four plays from the 6-yard line last week, coming up empty after getting stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1. That percentage ranks 25th in the league, and will be one the Seahawks are looking to improve upon, starting in Washington.
"It's just us getting used to how to use our personnel," offensive coordinator Brian Fleury said when asked about not converting in the red zone. "Again, it's the lack of information. The red zone can be very specific, so as we get further into some of the game plans that we're having, where there's a little bit more data from the opponents that we're playing against, then we'll be able to dial stuff up a little bit more deliberately."
4. How does the guard rotation look in the second game with Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens splitting time?
The Seahawks were without starting right guard Anthony Bradford last week, meaning Christian Haynes made his first career start, while rookie Beau Stephens also got multiple drives filling in for Bradford. With Bradford going on injured reserve this week, meaning he is out at least four games, the rotation is expected to continue this week, giving both players more time to show what they can do.
"I thought Beau handled his first actual NFL snaps pretty well," said Fleury. "We were deliberate in how we were going to sub him in. It wasn't a set rotation. We just knew that there were going to be times in the game where we could just say, 'Hey, this is going to be your series and see how he functioned, and I thought he did well. I was happy with how Christian (Haynes) played as well with the amount of snaps that he had. That's quite a bit of volume compared to what he's normally gotten."
5. Is Nick Emmanwori all the way back?
Nick Emmanwori, who missed most of training camp and the preseason after having ankle surgery prior to the start of camp, made his 2026 debut last week, but played only nine snaps, with the Seahawks limiting his playing time to help the second-year safety ramp back up after a long layoff.
Whether or not Emmanwori is back to being an every-down player remains to be seen, but he will play more, Macdonald said, which is great news for Seattle's defense.
"It's significantly higher," Macdonald said when asked about the plan for Emmanwori's role this week. "We'll see how the game unfolds, see how he feels, but he'll be out there a good bit."
The Seahawks continued their week of preparation for their Week 3 matchup vs. the Commanders with a practice on September 24, 2026.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and quarterback Drew Lock (2) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Uso Seumalo (92) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Avery Smith (27) and wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (84) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Deven Eastern (97) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Julian Hicks (82) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (23) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Velus Jones Jr. (33) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris (94) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Uso Seumalo (92) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Andre Fuller (35), cornerback Michael Dansby (37) and safety D'Anthony Bell (34) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Maxen Hook (43) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety D'Anthony Bell (34) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Julian Neal (1) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Avery Smith (27) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Brandon Pili (95) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) and linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (84) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Julian Hicks (82) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety D'Anthony Bell (34) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde at practice on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Michael Dansby (37) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Trevon Diggs (16) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (84) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (87) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Ricky White III (86) practiced on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
