Seattle’s Sam Darnold is the next QB to face shaky Washington secondary
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Seattle (5-2) at Washington (3-5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC
BetMGM NFL Odds: Seahawks by 3
Against the spread: Seahawks 5-2, Commanders 3-5
Series record: Commanders lead 13-10.
Last meeting: Seahawks beat Commanders 29-26 in Seattle on Nov. 12, 2023.
Last week: Seahawks were off; Commanders lost to Chiefs 28-7 on Monday night.
Seahawks offense: overall (11), rush (21), pass (8), scoring (T-5).
Seahawks defense: overall (10), rush (1), pass (23), scoring (7).
Commanders offense: overall (16), rush (T-3), pass (24), scoring (17).
Commanders defense: overall (27), rush (22), pass (26), scoring (22).
Turnover differential: Seahawks minus-4; Commanders minus-5.
Seahawks player to watch
RB Kenneth Walker III. After a slow start to the season for the Seahawks running game, the third-year back has started to turn a corner. Walker ran for 66 yards during the Seahawks’ win against the Texans on Oct. 20, marking the third time in four weeks he’d rushed for at least that many.
Commanders player to watch
TE Zach Ertz. With WR Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) set to miss another game, the Commanders are again short-handed even though they get QB Jayden Daniels back from his hamstring injury. Ertz is second on the team with 27 catches and already has four touchdown receptions this season.
Key matchup
Seattle QB Sam Darnold vs. the Washington secondary. Dak Prescott picked the Commanders apart two weeks ago, and although Patrick Mahomes threw two interceptions against Washington, he too had little trouble moving the ball. Darnold isn’t necessarily on their level, but the first question in this game is whether the Commanders can hold up defensively.
Key injuries
Seahawks: DE Demarcus Lawrence (quadriceps), LB Derick Hall (oblique) and CB Devon Witherspoon (knee) all participated in practice, but S Julian Love (hamstring) has been ruled out for the game. WR Cooper Kupp (heel, hamstring) is questionable.
Commanders: Daniels is set to start, but T Laremy Tunsil (hamstring) is questionable.
Series notes
Washington holds a significant lead in the series in the regular season, but the Seahawks have won all three playoff meetings by double digits. … Eight of the past nine regular-season matchups have been decided by one score.
Stats and stuff
The Seahawks are seeking to win six of their first eight games for the first time since 2020. Seattle went 10-7 last season and hasn’t had a losing season since 2021 under Pete Carroll … The Seahawks lost their lone matchup with an NFC East team last season, 29-20 to the New York Giants. … Darnold’s 68.2 completion rate ranks 10th in the league. … Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the Seahawks in yards receiving in 2024, leads in the NFL in that category this season. His 819 yards are 99 more than Ja’Marr Chase, who has played in one more game than Smith-Njigba. … LB Ernest Jones IV had a season-high 11 tackles in the Seahawks’ latest win. … The Seahawks have eight interceptions as a team this season, tied for fourth in the NFL. The Bears lead the league with 11. … The Seahawks have 23 sacks, tied for fifth in the NFL, while the offense has allowed just nine. … Seahawks K Jason Myers went 2 for 3 on field-goal attempts in Seattle’s latest game. Myers is 13 of 17 on the season. Last season, he missed four kicks total. … Commanders LB Von Miller needs 2 1/2 sacks to tie Jared Allen for 12th on the career list. … Washington’s Bill Croskey-Merritt has rushed for 402 yards, fourth among NFL rookies this season. … The Commanders lead the NFL in kickoff return average at 30.3 yards per attempt. … Washington’s Deebo Samuel is second in the NFL in yards after the catch since 2021, behind only Cincinnati’s Chase. … The Commanders have touchdowns on 75% of their red zone trips, second in the league behind Philadelphia. … Originally drafted by Seattle, Commanders LB Bobby Wagner faces the Seahawks for the first time since 2022 when he was with the Rams. He has the most tackles (524) in prime time since entering the league in 2012 and is in fact the only player since 2000 with at least 500 tackles in prime-time games.
Fantasy tip
Expect Seattle receivers — Smith-Njigba in particular — to be popular among fantasy players given how Washington’s coverage has struggled.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl