LANDOVER, Md. — What is becoming one of the Seahawks’ biggest mantras as the 2025 season has developed is that their success is not dependent only on the 22 who make up their starting lineup, or the 53 who are on the active roster, but the 70 who comprise every player on the team, including the practice squad.
Sunday night’s 38-14 win over the Washington Commanders may have been the greatest example yet of that saying.
While stars such as quarterback Sam Darnold (team-record-tying 17 straight completions) and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (a fourth straight 100-yard game with 129 yards on eight receptions) were the obvious standouts, contributions came from everywhere.
Nose tackle Brandon Pili, who began the season on the practice squad, caused a fumble on a kickoff that led to a touchdown.
Related seahawks 38, commanders 14
Seahawks show off their full potential while pummeling Commanders | Matt Calkins
Sam Darnold can’t miss as Seahawks overwhelm Commanders
Reporter Bob Condotta grades Seahawks’ win vs. Commanders | Analysis
Instant impressions from Seahawks' Sunday night win over Commanders
Rumor mill churning as Seahawks approach trade deadline | Notebook
Safety Ty Okada, who was primarily a practice squad member the last two seasons and began the year as a reserve, had an interception that helped turned the game early.
And receiver Cody White, who was elevated off the practice squad on Saturday, put the game away with a 60-yard catch and run for a TD in the second quarter.
“Everybody does a great job preparing day in and day out whether you’re on the ready squad (what coach Mike Macdonald calls the 17-man practice squad) or the 53 active,” Okada said. “You’re preparing every single week like your number is going to called and the coaches have the utmost faith in you.”
That faith was rewarded by coach to player and player to coach Sunday with a win that may have given the greatest indication yet that the Seahawks really can make a Super Bowl run this season.
On to the grades:
Quarterback
The 17 straight completions just about says it all. But so does the way Darnold was perfect on the big-play throws early that resulted in four touchdown passes by halftime. Darnold has a 16 to 5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 116.0 passer rating.
Grade: A.
Running back
By the end of the game, the early contribution of the running game might have been easy to overlook.
But Kenneth Walker III had 26 yards on five carries in the first quarter and a catch for 14 yards as the Seahawks took control and had 48 yards rushing on 11 carries at halftime.
Grade: B-plus.
Receiver
What more can anyone say about Smith-Njigba at this point? What you can say is that he is on pace for the first 2,000-yard season by a receiver in NFL history at 2,014, averaging 118.5 yards per game.
With Cooper Kupp inactive because of heel and hamstring injuries, and Jake Bobo and Dareke Young also out with injuries, they had just four receivers available — one of whom was rookie Ricky White III, elevated off the practice squad.
That allowed rookie Tory Horton to have his best day as a pro with 48 yards on four catches and two TDs and for Cody White to get the first TD of his career. White typically played as the third receiver.
Grade: A.
Tight end
Because of the receiver injury situation the Seahawks made full use of their tight ends and they all took advantage. Rookie Elijah Arroyo got his first career TD on the score that made it 21-0, a 26-yard play in the second quarter, and AJ Barner had three catches and a late TD on a Tush Push play. Rookie Nick Kallerup got his first career action and helped pave the way for an early 12-yard run by Walker.
Grade: A.
Offensive line
As Macdonald said during the week, there were no changes to the starting offensive line.
And after a couple of penalties on the first drive, the line then proved why the coaches are sticking with them as they paved the way for a dominant offensive day. Darnold wasn’t sacked and was hit only once and he had time to make the big plays early.
The Seahawks finished averaging a season-high 8.7 yards per play.
Grade: A.
Defensive line
The Seahawks never let Washington get anything established offensively early, with the front again leading the way.
Leonard Williams had another elite game with five tackles and a sack. His most impressive play may have been when he caught and tripped up Jayden Daniels to stop him for a 7-yard gain on a fourth-and-15 play late in the third quarter.
Byron Murphy II also had another strong game with half a sack — he has five on the season — and four tackles.
Grade: A.
Rush end/outside linebacker
One of the most important things this group did early was not lose contain on Daniels, who did little in the running game until it was 28-0. Derick Hall had a nice game with five tackles, one for a loss, and Uchenna Nwosu and DeMarcus Lawrence each had half a sack.
Most Read Sports Stories
Grade: A.
Inside linebacker
The one big negative out of this game was a knee injury that sidelined Ernest Jones IV in the second quarter. It sounds as if he could miss a game or two, though Macdonald indicated the early word is it isn’t too bad.
Once he left, Drake Thomas moved over from weakside linebacker to play the middle and Tyrice Knight — who was benched to make way for Thomas — came in and led the Seahawks with nine tackles.
Thomas had another strong game with a pass defense and a sack.
Grade: A.
Safety
Okada again got the start at one safety spot alongside Coby Bryant with Julian Love out and he showed again that the Seahawks may be just fine sticking with him as he got his first career interception in the second quarter.
Rookie Nick Emmanwori played mostly as a nickel back but with Devon Witherspoon back had to share some of that role, as well. Still he had six tackles, one for a loss. Bryant was again steady and had an early tackle for no gain on a third-and-one.
Grade: A.
Cornerback
With Witherspoon back after missing the last three games, he was also back in the starting lineup as an outside corner in the base defense with Josh Jobe on the other side. That relegated Riq Woolen to playing a third cornerback role and playing only when Witherspoon moved inside to play the nickel.
Jobe left with a concussion early in the second quarter and Woolen went back to playing as a starter.
Witherspoon showed he’d been missed with seven tackles and a QB hit and Woolen turned in a pass defense though he also got called for taunting penalty in the fourth quarter.
Grade: A.
Special teams
The Seahawks decided just this week to insert Pili in the middle of their kickoff coverage team. It paid off quicker than they might have imagined as he forced a fumble in the second quarter that led to the TD that made it 21-0 and felt like it ended the suspense.
Otherwise, the special teams were hardly needed.
Grade: A.
Coaching
Macdonald keeps earning his due, as does first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
True, the Seahawks had the advantage of coming off a bye week while the Commanders had the short turnaround from a Monday night game.
Macdonald made sure the Seahawks didn’t lapse into any sort of complacency with the bye following a 5-2 start. And an early pass-heavy game plan made sense going against a Washington defense that came into the game 26th in the NFL in pass defense.
And special teams coach Jay Harbaugh’s move to put Pili on the kickoff team seems to symbolize how the coaches are punching all the right buttons right now
Grade: A.
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times who primarily covers the Seahawks but also dabbles in other sports. He has worked at The Times since 2002, reporting on University of Washington Husky football and basketball for his first 10 years at the paper before switching to the Seahawks in 2013.