The Pie Chart of Blame: Five Reasons Why Seahawks Were Upset by Commanders

The Seattle Seahawks rolled into Landover, Maryland as an 8.5-point favorite. They left with their feathery tail between their legs in an upset defeat at the hands of the understaffed Commanders, 33-31. So, what happened?

When a football team loses a game, there is never just one singular moment that leads to the loss. It’s usually a factor of several things that piled up along the way. Let’s try to sort out five reasons why Seattle’s 12-game winning streak dating back to last November is no more:

Injuries to Julian Love, Ty Okada, and Anthony Bradford: 25%

A chunk of this loss can be chalked up to injuries. But not the entire reason. The Commanders were down their starting quarterback and one of their best defenders in Frankie Luvu. But Seattle deeply missed these three especially. Okada has been out all season but the loss of Love compounded that absence. The safety spot is in dire straits.

Julian Love not being on the field hurt the defense, plain and simple. He is a master leader and communicator on the back end of the “Dark Side” defense. That left plenty of holes for light to peek through that weren’t there before. Miscommunications, missed assignments, and poor execution were about in the secondary. A devastating penalty on A.J. Finley extended a Washington drive that led to them kicking a field goal. In a game where they would go on to win by two points. Love’s absence was felt throughout the defense.

Many might scoff at the idea that the Seahawks missed Anthony Bradford. However, per ESPN, Bradford ranked fifth-best among all interior linemen in run block win rate this season. You know what the Seahawks couldn’t do at all on Sunday in Landover? Run block.

Sam Darnold and Jadarian Price turnovers: 25%

You can’t lose a game by two points and commit three turnovers and not address it. For the second straight game, Seattle’s first round rookie running back coughed up the ball. The Commanders had a short field and took advantage with a quick touchdown soon after. Sam Darnold threw two interceptions. One came on a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage. The pick-six in the fourth quarter was a mind-numbing decision by Darnold. Even after that interception, had Seattle found a way to tackle the defender and force a field goal, the Seahawks still might win.

It’s hard to win games in the NFL when you allow 20 points off of giveaways.

Poor Rushing Attack: 25%

The Seahawks need to figure out their rushing offense. They managed just 44 measly yards on 18 tries, for an average of 2.4 yards per carry. Not to mention, Jadarian Price now has lost a fumble in each of his last two games. This now marks the second time in three games that Seattle failed to reach 100 yards rushing. That’s also an indictment on the offensive line.

That weakness is painfully evident inside the red zone. For a second straight game, the Seahawks went for it inside the opponent’s three-yard line on 4th and Goal and were stuffed for a turnover on downs. That is becoming a trend. The run game is not much of a threat right now. Seattle needs Zach Charbonnet to get healthy and quick.

Run Defense Breaking Down Late: 15%

For the most part, Seattle defended the Washington rushing attack well. After all, the Commanders only amassed 82 yards on 32 carries. On paper, that’s a solid day at the office for a rushing defense. However, it ended up being their undoing. The Seahawks got a new lease on life after a quick touchdown drive, following the pick-six by Sam Darnold.

Seattle trailed 33-31 needing just a defensive stop and a field goal to win. But on 3rd and 9, the Commanders ran an end-around play that resulted in a back-breaking 19-yard gain. Seattle’s defense lost outside contain on the rush and allowed the first down that put their chances on life support. Then, Seattle looked like they might get another chance when Washington faced a 3rd and 7 with just over a minute left. Marcus Mariota kept a read option run and scampered for the game-sealing first down. Again, the Seahawks run defense failed in a big spot.

The Defensive End Group: 10%

Seattle’s pass rush has been as reliable and solid a unit as you will find in the NFL for over a year. However, on Sunday in sloppy leftovers of a “nor’easter” storm in Maryland, they couldn’t find their footing. Too often, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota had a clean pocket and time to throw. That left Seattle’s under-manned secondary vulnerable. That’s a lethal combination.

Derick Hall and Leonard Williams each got a sack. Byron Murphy II was disruptive at times in the interior. But there were stretches were the Commanders offensive line held their ground and allowed the passing attack to pick apart a weakened secondary. The edges especially are to blame. It’s been a quiet start to the season for veteran Uchenna Nwosu. Free agent signing Dante Fowler Jr. has been virtually invisible. That isn’t just in the passing game. Their poor run defense caused some big runs late for Washington.