Sam Darnold Returns for Seahawks in Week 3 as Daniels' Elbow Sidelines Him
Seattle has surrendered just 17 points through two weeks — the stingiest start since 2013 — and now gets its QB1 back against a Mariota-led Washington offense.
Facing the NFL's stingiest defense with a 1-6 record in his last 7 starts.
- Seahawks allowed 17 points total through 2 weeks
- Fewest points allowed thru 2 games since 2013
- Seattle 15-1 in last 16 road games
- Mariota has lost 6 of his last 7 starts
- Projected score: Seahawks 27, Commanders 17
The bad news in Washington is stacking up fast. Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow, and the Commanders now hand the keys to Marcus Mariota — a veteran who's dropped six of his last seven starts. That's a rough draw against a Seattle team that has surrendered just 17 total points across its first two games, the lowest through two weeks by any defense since 2013.
The other side of this matchup got a lift, too. Sam Darnold returns from a glute injury to reclaim the Seahawks' offense, replacing Drew Lock, who filled in but posted a grand total of 0 PPR points across 5 games last season (2025). Darnold lifts the ceiling on an already dangerous unit, and Seattle enters as one of the hottest road teams in football at 15-1 over its last 16 away games.
This one has the makings of a grind for Washington. Daniels, when healthy, was the engine that dragged the Commanders out of the mud — but injuries keep clipping his story, and now the offense leans on a passer who simply hasn't stacked wins. Asking Mariota to move the ball consistently against this Seattle front feels like a losing proposition.
The projected score here is Seahawks 27, Commanders 17, and that line tracks with everything the Seattle defense has shown. Even a rusty Darnold doesn't need to do much when your defense is handing you short fields and low totals to chase.
The Fantasy Fallout
For fantasy managers, this is a clean set of decisions. Mariota is a hard sit — a middling passer walking into the buzzsaw of the league's best defense to open the year. Don't chase the streaming appeal; the matchup outweighs any upside.
Darnold, meanwhile, is a wait-and-see start. He's the ceiling-raiser for Seattle, but he's coming off an injury and stepping into a game script that may not require heavy volume if the defense keeps doing its thing. If you have a better option, ride it this week and let Darnold prove he's fully back before you trust him in a must-win lineup.
