_The opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the team._
The Washington Commanders punctuated their first home game of the 2026 season with a victory over the defending Super Bowl champions. Quarterback Marcus Mariota, linebacker Sonny Styles and linebacker Kain Medrano put on standout performances to help down the Seahawks, 33-31, in Week 3 and make it five consecutive wins in the last five home openers for the Burgundy & Gold.
With Jayden Daniels out, head coach Dan Quinn has expressed full confidence in Mariota's ability to command this offense. His leadership, experience and connections within the team make him someone who is not only easy to rally around but more than capable of making plays.
"We didn't blink," Mariota said in his postgame press conference, and the veteran quarterback spearheaded the clear-eyed, inspiring effort against the defending Super Bowl champions in Washington's home opener. He made quick, smart decisions, taking checkdowns instead of forcing throws. He showed off his arm strength in deep passes to Terry McLaurin and threaded the needle in shorter attempts.
And while he may not have the speed of a younger quarterback, Mariota was able to get key yardage with his legs. Perhaps his biggest moment came when he iced the game. On third-and-7 with Washington fighting to hold on to a two-point lead, Mariota faked out the defense, kept the ball and ran for nine yards. All he had to do was kneel from there.
It was a stirring, dominant performance that highlighted what's possible with the offense. Scoring 33 points against the Seahawks, who came into this game allowing just 8.5 points per contest, is nothing to scoff at. Mariota finished the Week 3 victory with 19 completions on 31 attempts, 183 yards, zero interceptions and three touchdowns. It was the first time since Week 8 of the 2022 season that the quarterback has thrown for three touchdowns in a game.
"I believe this team has a chance to do some really, really good things," he said after the win.