The Washington Commanders stunned the NFL by upsetting the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, sparking plenty of questions in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle lost despite the return of Sam Darnold, and Washington being without star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Seahawks’ stunning loss has some fans wondering if the team should have stuck with Drew Lock longer and allowed Darnold to have an extended recovery timeline. Overall, it was a solid return for Darnold, but the Super Bowl-winning quarterback threw a costly pick-six in the final minutes which ended up sealing the victory for Washington.
Social media was full of overreactions wondering if Seattle made the right move to bring Darnold back so quickly.
“You have to say it. Two costly INTs in the game,” one fan noted. “14 points off of those INTs.
“These are the turnovers that Drew Lock wasn’t making.”
Other fans pointed to the Seahawks defense looking more than vulnerable against Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.
“The reactionary will say we need to put in Drew lock,” another remarked. “I completely disagree.
“He had one bad turnover yes but he also kept us in this game. The defense was terrible without their starting safeties.”
“Seahawks fans need to face reality. Drew Lock is a better QB than Sam Darnold,” argued one fan.
“Sam Darnold 0-1 Drew Lock 2-0,” added another.
The Seahawks Face Plenty of Questions Following Stunning Loss vs. Commanders
For the first time during this young NFL season, the Seahawks head into the upcoming matchup with plenty of questions. The Seahawks defense struggled to generate key stops against Washington.
Seattle’s defense has been described as one of the best units in the league but did not look like it on the road in Washington.
Additionally, rookie running back Jadarian Price had another costly fumble which prompted head coach Mike Macdonald to use the playmaker sparingly for the remainder of the game.
Sam Darnold Threw for 379 Yards & 4 TDs, But Also Had 2 Costly Interceptions in Loss vs. Commanders
To Darnold’s credit, the veteran quarterback quickly bounced back following the turnover to mount a touchdown drive, but the two-possession lead by Washington proved insurmountable. The Commanders offense closed out the game as the Seahawks defense was unable to get off of the field.
It is hard to argue against Darnold’s stats as the quarterback threw for 379 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 68.9% of his passes against Washington. Yet, most of the discussion in the coming days will be about Darnold’s interceptions.
Regardless of when Darnold returned, there was likely going to be a bit of rust given the quarterback did not play in the preseason and is coming back from an injury. Darnold barely played during the Seahawks’ Week 1 win against the Patriots after sustaining a glute injury.
As for the Seahawks defense, there is little explanation for the unit’s struggles aside from the team dealing with injuries. It is also worth noting that Lock’s success happened in a small sample size of less than two games.
Lock has struggled during the majority of his NFL career to prove consistent enough to be a team’s long-term answer at quarterback.
Seahawks Under Fire for Sam Darnold Decision as Drew Lock Looms After Loss