The Commanders’ Week 9 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks was a pivotal moment for their season. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the game pivoted in the wrong direction. Their third consecutive loss by three or more touchdowns brings their record to 3-6.
To finish the season with a winning record, the Commanders will need to win six of their remaining eight games. Those upcoming matchups include four teams that currently have five or more wins. The season-ending injuries to star QB Jayden Daniels, starting CB Marshon Lattimore, and WR/KR Luke McCaffrey make that achievement exceedingly unlikely.
While a few diehards—like Hogs Haven’s Bill in Bangkok—might hold out hope until the Boys in Burgundy and Gold are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, most fans will recognize it is time to declare defeat and turn attention back to the franchise rebuild, which is still only in its second year.
For those hearty souls with an appetite for a post-mortem on the Commanders’ 14-38 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, here is my weekly summary of who got playing time, where they lined up, who stepped up (yes, a few players did), and whose performance left room for improvement.
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### A Note on Stats Sources
Statistics were sourced from the NFL, Pro Football Reference (PFR), Pro Football Focus (PFF), and ESPN. Official NFL stats were prioritized whenever available. When no source is indicated, either NFL official stats were used or there was agreement among sources. The specific source is mentioned when discrepancies occurred or when stats are unique to one service (e.g., PFF stops, run stops, yards per route run (Y/RR), QB hurries). QBR ratings are proprietary to ESPN.
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### Biggest Plays of the Game
**Expected Points Added (EPA)** quantifies the contribution of individual plays to a team’s scoring potential on a drive. Below are plays with EPA greater than +2 or less than -2.
#### Biggest Plays for the Commanders
– **Q2, 1:04, 3rd and 5 at SEA 13:** Jayden Daniels scrambles right end for 12 yards. EPA +3.15
– **Q2, 15:00, 4th and 1 at WAS 42:** Daniels completes short right pass to John Bates for 10 yards. EPA +2.98
– **Q4, 7:17, 3rd and 4 at SEA 4:** Chris Rodriguez rushes up the middle for 4 yards, touchdown. EPA +2.51
– **Q4, 8:46, 3rd and 6 at SEA 13:** Daniels completes short left pass to Jaylin Lane for 7 yards. EPA +2.15
– **Q2, 6:56, 4th and 6 at WAS 24:** Tress Way punts 63 yards, downed at SEA 13-yard line by Jared Ivey. EPA +2.09
– **Q3, 9:17, 3rd and 4 at SEA 46:** Sam Darnold pass intended for Cody White is intercepted by Mike Sainristil at WAS 47 and returned for no gain. EPA -3.22
#### Biggest Plays for the Seahawks
– **Q2, 4:44, 1st and 10 at SEA 40:** Darnold completes short right pass to Cody White for 60 yards, touchdown. EPA +5.4
– **Q2, 8:57, 3rd and 8 at WAS 25:** Darnold deep right pass to Tory Horton for 25 yards, touchdown. EPA +4.19
– **Q2, 8:46, 1st and 10 at WAS 26:** Darnold deep left pass to Elijah Arroyo for 26 yards, touchdown. EPA +3.16
– **Q2, 5:15, 3rd and 5 at SEA 18:** Darnold short right pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 22 yards. EPA +2.43
– **Q3, 2:52, 1st and 10 at WAS 18:** Kenneth Walker rushes left end for 11 yards. Penalty on Javon Kinlaw: Face Mask (15 yards), accepted. EPA +2.14
– **Q1, 12:55, 2nd and 10 at WAS 41:** Daniels short left pass to Deebo Samuel for 3 yards. Penalty on Tyler Biadasz: Illegal blindside block, 15 yards (accepted). EPA -2.03
– **Q3, 0:18, 3rd and 4 at SEA 40:** Daniels sacked by Jarran Reed and Uchenna Nwosu for 10 yards. EPA -2.14
– **Q2, 8:52:** Jason Myers kickoff 60 yards, returned by Jaylin Lane for 26 yards, Lane fumbles (forced by Brandon Pili), recovered by Connor O’Toole at WAS 26. EPA -3.84
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### OFFENSE
Starter Jayden Daniels suffered a season-ending elbow dislocation near the midpoint of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the injury was to his non-throwing arm and his prognosis for recovery by next season is good.
Before the injury, Daniels completed 16 of 22 passes (72.7% completion, 5.9 yards average depth of target) for 153 yards, no touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also took 4 sacks for 20 yards and endured 1 QB hit.
According to PFF, Daniels faced pressure on 57.1% of his dropbacks, well above his season average of 39.2%. However, his 20% pressure-to-sack rate was the third highest of the season (with 30% vs. NYG and 33% vs. CHI being higher).
Motor Mariota took over after Daniels’ injury with 4:40 left in the game but did not attempt any pass or run plays. He handed off twice to Jacory Croskey-Merritt and five times to Chris Rodriguez.
Chris Rodriguez led the team in rushing yards with 65 yards on 12 attempts, averaging 5.4 yards per carry, with 7 first downs, 54 yards after contact, and an impressive rushing success rate of 91.7%. This rushing success rate is the highest by any player with at least 10 attempts in a single game this season. Despite averaging only 0.9 yards before contact per attempt, Rodriguez showed remarkable effectiveness. He also had 1 broken tackle and scored a rushing touchdown.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt was third on the team in rushing with 38 yards on 12 attempts (3.2 Y/A) and a 58.3% rushing success rate. Most of his yards (36 of 38) came after contact. He also caught his only target for 3 yards.
Jeremy McNichols’ streak of clutch plays ended as he was used sparingly — just a single rush for no gain and no targets. He was flagged for a chop block, though the penalty was declined.
Among receivers, Deebo Samuel led with 6 targets, 5 receptions, and 37 yards after catch. He totaled 41 receiving yards and posted a receiving productivity of 1.52 yards per route run (Y/RR), though his 1.0-yard average depth of target (ADOT) was the lowest on the team.
Jaylin Lane caught 3 of 5 targets for 29 yards (60% catch rate), with 2 first downs and a 7.6-yard ADOT.
In his first game with the Commanders, Treylon Burks caught a single 14-yard reception but lost 1 yard after the catch.
Despite playing the most snaps among wide receivers, Chris Moore did not receive a single target but earned the highest PFF run-blocking grade among WRs at 61.9.
Luke McCaffrey was injured on the opening kickoff and did not see any offensive action.
Tight end Zach Ertz led the team in receiving yards with 4 receptions on 4 targets for 46 yards and 2 first downs. He was the second most productive receiver based on Y/RR at 1.7 but committed two false start penalties, each costing 5 yards.
John Bates was the most productive receiver by yards per route run with an impressive 2.5 Y/RR. He caught 2 of 4 targets for 20 yards, including 16 yards after the catch, but had one drop.
Rookie tight end Ben Sinnott participated in 4 routes but was not targeted.
According to PFF, 2 of the 4 sacks on Daniels were due to blocking failures by the offensive line while the other two sacks were the result of blitzing linebackers.
Offensive line play specifics:
– **LT Laremy Tunsil** allowed just 2 hurries on 38 pass-blocking snaps. His 5.3% pressure rate in pass protection is borderline acceptable for an OT. His run-blocking grade was an average 53.7.
– **LG Chris Paul** did not allow a single pressure in 38 pass-blocking snaps but earned the second-lowest run-blocking grade on the team at 47.4. He was penalized 15 yards for a facemask grab in the second quarter.
– **C Tyler Biadasz** allowed 2 pressures—both sacks credited against Daniels—and was penalized 15 yards for an illegal blindside block in the first quarter. On the positive side, he earned the highest run-blocking grade on the team at 75.2.
– **RG Sam Cosmi** allowed 2 pressures with a 5.3% pressure rate that’s somewhat high for an interior lineman. His run-blocking grade was a solid 65.8.
– **RT Josh Conerly Jr.** allowed 3 QB hurries over 38 pass-blocking snaps. His 7.9% pressure rate is somewhat high for a veteran starter but expected for a rookie.
Substitutes:
– **Brandon Coleman** relieved Tunsil for 7 snaps, did not allow any pressures, and earned a run-blocking grade of 57.8.
– **Andrew Wylie** replaced Cosmi for 7 snaps and did not allow pressure.
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### DEFENSE
The distinction between edge defenders and interior defensive linemen (iDL) has blurred recently due to injuries at defensive end. While these positions are segregated here, iDL have increasingly taken on more DE responsibilities.
This game marked a notably poor performance from the Commanders’ edge defenders.
– **Preston Smith** was the only edge rusher to pressure Sam Darnold, recording 1 QB hit in 11 defensive snaps and making only 3 pass-rush attempts.
– **Jacob Martin** saw the most playing time among edge rushers but failed to register any pressure in 22 pass-rush attempts, contributing only 2 tackle assists, with one leading to a defensive stop.
– **Jalyn Holmes** led the defense in pressures by PFF with 2 QB hurries on 9 attempts, his only recorded stats.
– **Von Miller** recorded just 1 QB hurry per PFF and no other statistics.
On the interior line:
– **Daron Payne** split time between DE (38.5%) and DT, recording 3 tackle assists and 1 defensive stop, but missed 2 tackles according to PFR.
– **Javon Kinlaw** played nearly half his snaps at DE, the rest inside. He had 1 tackle assist but also missed tackles and was penalized for a face mask in the third quarter.
– **Eddie Goldman** stayed inside on the line, contributing 1 tackle, 2 assists, and 1 defensive stop.
– **Sheldon Day** made 2 tackles and 1 assist, with all tackles counted as stops.
– **Johnny Newton**, coming off a strong performance against the Chiefs (37.5% pressure rate, 1 sack), failed to record any defensive stats in this game.
Linebackers:
– **Frankie Luvu** tied with CB Trey Amos for team tackles with 4, added 3 assists, forced a fumble recovered by the Seahawks, but missed 1 tackle and recorded no stops. He was targeted 4 times in coverage, allowing 3 receptions for 39 yards and 1 pass breakup (PBU).
– **Bobby Wagner** recorded 3 tackles, 4 assists, and 1 stop. Coverage stats vary: PFF credits 4 receptions on 4 targets for 72 yards, while PFR grades him better with 2 receptions on 2 targets for 21 yards. He missed a tackle per PFR but not per PFF.
– **Jordan Magee** played roughly half as many snaps as senior linebackers, with 2 tackles, 3 assists, and 2 stops. He missed some tackles too but was not targeted in coverage.
Defensive backs:
– **Trey Amos** struggled in coverage. PFR recorded 4 receptions on 4 targets for 46 yards across 18 coverage snaps, while PFF rated him significantly worse, with 5 receptions on 5 targets for 102 yards and a touchdown in 18 snaps. He tied for the team lead with 4 tackles, 3 assists, and 2 stops.
– **Marshon Lattimore** had a mostly strong coverage day, allowing 2 receptions on 3 targets for just 11 yards with 1 PBU. He was also called for pass interference twice but was lost for the season with an ACL tear.
– **Mike Sainristil** recorded 1 tackle, 1 assist, 1 interception, and 1 PBU. Coverage stats differ: PFF has him allowing 3 receptions on 4 targets for 35 yards and 1 touchdown, whereas PFR records 4 receptions on 5 targets for 41 yards and 1 touchdown.
– **Jonathan Jones** recorded 1 tackle and 2 assists. Coverage stats vary between PFF and PFR readings, with Jones flagged for a pass interference penalty that was accepted for 28 yards.
– **Jeremy Reaves** made 2 tackles, 5 assists, 1 tackle for loss (TFL), 2 stops, and 1 missed tackle. Coverage stats also vary between sources.
– **Quan Martin** made 3 tackles with 1 missed tackle; coverage stats again differ significantly between PFF and PFR.
– **Darnell Savage** saw limited action with 1 tackle and 1 assist in just 5 coverage snaps; he was not targeted.
– **Tyler Owens** saw sparse playing time, registering 1 tackle assist that contributed to a stop but was targeted once in coverage allowing a 26-yard touchdown. He was flagged for running into the kicker, costing 5 yards.
– **Percy Butler** played just 4 defensive snaps and maintained a clean stat sheet.
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### SPECIAL TEAMS
Luke McCaffrey returned the opening kickoff 19 yards before suffering a season-ending collarbone injury.
Deebo Samuel returned one kickoff for 30 yards.
Jaylin Lane returned two punts for a total of 15 yards and made one fair catch. He attempted one kick return, which he ran back for 26 yards before fumbling. This turnover gave the Seahawks possession at the Washington 26-yard line—the biggest negative play of the game (EPA -3.84).
Punter Tress Way and the punt coverage unit had an excellent game. Way booted four punts for 191 yards with no returns, three fair catches, and one downed inside the 20-yard line. This resulted in a net average of 47.8 yards per attempt.
Long snapper Tyler Ott delivered a solid performance, avoiding mistakes.
Placekicker Matt Gay was perfect on extra points, converting both attempts.
Coverage leader Jeremy Reaves made 2 tackles, while Tyler Owens contributed 1 tackle but was flagged for running into the kicker.
Both Chris Rodriguez and Chris Moore each had a missed tackle on special teams.
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The Commanders now face an uphill battle in their 2024 campaign. Strong individual performances, particularly by Chris Rodriguez and Zach Ertz, offer hope, but injuries and defensive struggles weigh heavily on the team’s prospects. Fans can only hope that the ongoing rebuild gains momentum in the coming weeks.
https://www.hogshaven.com/give-me-the-numbers-stat/387552/stats-and-snaps-2025-week-9-commanders-vs-seattle-seahawks
