Washington Commanders signal caller Marcus Mariota didn't look like an elite quarterback against the Seattle Seahawks, but the 32-year-old turned back the clock to his Oregon days at times during the Commanders' 33-31 win.

Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald recognized that while Mariota performed admirably, his defensive front didn't pressure the backup signal-caller enough to slow him down during the stunning upset.

The loss is Macdonald's first since November 16, 2025. The franchise's 12-game winning streak is now over. Few would've guessed it'd come at the hands of a Commanders team without Jayden Daniels.

"We need to find more ways to be aggressive. The quarterback did some things to get them in good plays. Credit to them," Macdonald said postgame of Mariota.

This isn't to say they didn't slow Mariota down at all. Macdonald's squad had nine quarterback hits and two sacks during the loss.

Mariota was able to complete 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdown tosses in the win, though. He also sealed the game with a nine-yard run on third-and-7 with 1:15 left on the clock during the final drive.

While pressure existed, it certainly wasn't enough to slow Mariota down during key moments of the game.

For instance, while there was one impressive Derick Hall sack at Washington's own 1-yard line that lead to one final Seahawks possession before halftime -- Jason Myers nailed a 57-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining -- Seattle ended up giving a field goal themselves before the half. Mariota completed quick passes to Treylon Burks and Terry McLaurin to set up Drew Stevens's own 57-yard field goal.

The Seahawks had a bad day situationally on the gridiron. Certainly, it wasn't solely, or even mostly, the defense's fault.

Seahawks Offense Faced Issues in Woeful Weather Game

Heavy rain and swirling winds heavily effected the conditions on the field at Northwest Stadium.

They seemed to slow down the Seahawks on both sides of the ball in the most inconvenient of ways.

Coming into the week, Seattle had a 37% baseline pressure rate tendency. The Seahawks had no offensive turnovers against the Patriots and Cardinals but coughed up a fumble and saw Sam Darnold throw two picks in his return to action.

Truthfully, the offense constantly putting Washington into favorable conditions was the undoing of this game.

Macdonald did the right thing focusing on the team-wide effort, though, and not throwing his returning quarterback or rookie running back under the bus.

Mike Macdonald Protected His Offense With Postgame Comments

Macdonald's attitude postgame explained a lot about why he has a Super Bowl championship ring on his finger.

Instead of going after the real scapegoats, Darnold and Jadarian Price, he took as much ownership as he could. Darnold threw two interceptions and Price fumbled again in what is becoming a worrying trend.

This loss is one that could rightfully have the organization worried about whether or not a repeat title bid is possible.

Macdonald didn't allow the disappointment to create any postgame controversies, though.

Of course, what he does next is critical. His pass-rushers need to finish more plays behind the line of scrimmage. Ball security is a must for his offense.

Still, Macdonald could probably write off this outlier result in stormy weather and get the team focused for a matchup against an 0-3 Chargers team with its backs against the wall next Sunday.

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