Commanders vs. Seahawks: Kain Medrano's Pick-Six Snaps Seattle's 12-Game Win Streak in Week 3

Nobody circled Kain Medrano's name on the depth chart Sunday morning. By Sunday evening, he was the man who ended the defending champions' heater. With Washington nursing a 27-24 lead and 3:57 to play, the backup linebacker jumped a Sam Darnold throw over the middle and rumbled 50 yards to the end zone, and the Commanders held on to beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-31 at Northwest Stadium.

That was Seattle's first loss since November, snapping a 12-game winning streak that ran through last season's Super Bowl title. It came against a Washington team that walked in 0-2, started its backup quarterback, played without linebacker Frankie Luvu and then lost another linebacker before halftime. Football is a ridiculous sport, and this is exactly why we watch.

Rain, Fumbles and a Goal-Line Wall

The Commanders' home opener was played in a steady rain, and the first big break came out of the puddles. On the first snap of Seattle's second possession, rookie running back Jadarian Price put the ball on the turf and Tim Settle fell on it at the Seattle 21. Four plays later, Marcus Mariota flipped a 6-yard touchdown to Rachaad White. Jacory Croskey-Merritt then broke a 48-yard touchdown run that an illegal formation flag promptly erased.

Seattle punched back with a 90-yard march that ended with Darnold hitting Jaxon Smith-Njigba from a yard out, and Mariota answered by finding Treylon Burks for an 11-yard score. Then came the stand that set the tone. The Seahawks reached the Washington 2 late in the half and threw three straight incompletions, turning it over on downs. Seattle still salvaged a 57-yard Jason Myers field goal, and Drew Stevens matched him from 57 as the half expired. Two kickers playing H-O-R-S-E in the rain, and Washington took a 17-10 lead to the locker room.

The day also had a scary moment. Leo Chenal, who started at linebacker, was carted off with a neck injury late in the second quarter, and Dan Quinn's postgame update was the best news of the afternoon: Chenal was at a hospital and had feeling in his extremities. "We're definitely thinking of him," Quinn said. "He's a great teammate. We love him."

Early in the third quarter, rookie Sonny Styles picked off Darnold on a ball the Commanders' gameday blog described as ricocheting off a helmet, and Mariota needed three plays to cash it, lofting a 30-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin for a 24-10 lead.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Is Doing Jerry Rice Things

Seattle did not fold. Darnold found tight end Eric Saubert for a 13-yard score that Saubert juggled at the goal line before securing in the end zone, and early in the fourth he hit Smith-Njigba from 11 yards to tie it at 24. That tying drive included Smith-Njigba throwing a 14-yard pass to George Holani on a trick play, because apparently catching everything was getting boring.

Smith-Njigba finished with 10 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets. Per the AP, he is only the second player to post at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of his team's first three games, joining Jerry Rice in 1989. He already has six touchdown grabs. That is not a hot start, that is a residency.

Darnold, back from the injury that knocked him out of the opener, threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw the two picks that decided it, which is the cruel math of quarterbacking.

Mariota was the steadier hand: 19 of 31 for 183 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers. "The more that adversity hits, the more that the circumstances kind of pin us against the wall, these guys find a way," Mariota said.

The Pick, the Flag and the Missed Kick

After a 12-play, 7:19 grind ended with Stevens' 36-yard field goal for a 27-24 lead, Seattle got the ball back with 4:34 left. A few snaps after a 26-yard strike to Smith-Njigba, Darnold threw over the middle for AJ Barner, and Medrano was sitting right there.

"One turns into two, two turns into three. Ball just falls that way," Medrano said. "That momentum that we have, we're hunting the ball, and that's what we do as a defense."

Styles had the best seat in the house. "I was on the tight end, just playing my coverage. I'm about to get the PBU," Styles said. "He just steps in front of me. I'm like, 'Oh my gosh.' I'm running down the sideline with my hands up."

The party cost Washington. A celebration penalty pushed the extra point back 15 yards, Stevens missed, and the lead sat at 33-24 instead of 34-24. Seattle took that opening and sprinted through it: Smith-Njigba caught three straight passes, Tory Horton added 17 yards, and Darnold found Cooper Kupp for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:51 left. Now the champs only needed one more stop and a field goal.

They never got the stop. On third-and-9, White swept right for 19 yards. "They got to an audible against zero," Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said. "They made a good check, and we didn't make the play." Mariota then scrambled 9 yards on third-and-7, and the kneel-downs were a formality.

The Numbers Behind the Upset

• 437 to 258: Seattle's edge in total yards. The Seahawks also won first downs 28-17 and still lost.
• 3 to 0: The turnover margin, which is the only number that matters when the yardage lies to you.
• 3 of 13: Washington's third-down conversions, with two of those coming on the final drive.
• 57 and 57: Myers and Stevens each drilled one from 57 in the last 52 seconds of the first half.

Washington Has a Pulse, Seattle Has a Speed Bump

For the Commanders (1-2), this is the win that keeps a season from slipping into the abyss. They were 0-2, their starter Jayden Daniels was out, and their linebacker room was held together with tape. Mariota looks like a bridge that can carry real weight, and this defense has a personality. Next up is Indianapolis in London.

For Seattle (2-1), the panic meter should stay low. Smith-Njigba is playing like a cheat code and Darnold can still sling it. The problem is ball security: the fumble and the two picks turned into 20 Washington points. Safety Nick Emmanwori also hurt a hamstring in the first half. They host the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.

Next Man Up, Then Next Man Up Again

Every NFL locker room preaches next man up. Washington just lived it twice in one afternoon, with a backup quarterback throwing three touchdowns and a backup linebacker taking one to the house. Styles said it best: "It was crazy. It was a crazy play."

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Postgame quotes as reported by the Associated Press. Additional game details from the Washington Commanders' gameday blog (commanders.com).