Commanders Face Seahawks With Five Starters Ruled Out
The short version
- Washington ruled out five starters or significant contributors for its Week 3 home opener against Seattle.
- K'Lavon Chaisson leads Commanders pass rushers with an 18.6% pressure rate.
- Rachaad White was Washington's best running back in Week 2 as a runner and receiver.
- Quan Martin is expected to take on a larger role with Nick Cross injured.
- Daron Payne's pressure rate fell from 21.1% in Week 1 to 4.8% against Dallas.
Washington enters its home opener against Seattle short-handed, and players like K'Lavon Chaisson and Rachaad White will need to step up.
The Washington Commanders will host the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener at Northwest Stadium on Sunday while dealing with a significant injury problem. The team has ruled five players out for the Week 3 matchup, and according to Yahoo Sports, all five are every-down players or significant contributors who would be considered starters.
The absences come at a difficult time, as the Seahawks arrive as the reigning Super Bowl champions. With so many key pieces unavailable, Washington will need its replacements to take advantage of increased playing time and its healthy top players to perform at a high level in order to compete.
One player the report identifies as central to Washington's chances is edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, who leads all Commanders pass rushers with an 18.6% pressure rate. The piece argues that Washington's pass rush is its best form of coverage, and that pressure will be essential to make Seattle's offense uncomfortable, particularly with quarterback Sam Darnold back and Jaxon Smith-Njigba described as the NFL's most dangerous receiver. Washington failed to generate a turnover in its previous game, and disruptive plays from Chaisson such as sacks or forced fumbles could change the outcome.
At running back, veteran Rachaad White, a recent addition, was judged the best Commanders back in Week 2 as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. The report suggests giving White a high volume of carries and quick receptions early to build momentum, while noting that Bill Croskey-Merritt should remain part of the game plan rather than being benched.
In the secondary, Quan Martin is expected to see significant snaps alongside Jeremy Reaves due to Nick Cross' injury, with Percy Butler also possibly mixing in. The report acknowledges fan pessimism about that tandem but says Martin must be a productive, functional piece of the defense, avoid blown coverages, and ideally produce a takeaway with Cross sidelined.
On the defensive line, Daron Payne drew sharp criticism for his Week 2 performance against Dallas, with a reviewed analysis stating he gave zero effort and posting a 4.8% pressure rate after a 21.1% rate the week before, per NFL Pro. The report notes the gap also illustrates how good Payne can be at his best, and Washington needs that dominant version against both the run and the pass to keep Seattle's scoring down.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin appears on the key list for a second straight week after another efficient game: two catches for 50 yards on nine targets against Dallas. The report calls him Washington's most dynamic skill player and says the Commanders must find ways to get him the ball on crucial downs and create space for him after the catch, as he is capable of dominating a game.
Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders kicks off Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 PM EDT at Northwest Stadium. The game airs on FOX.
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