The Washington Commanders meet the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 action at Lumen Field. It’s Washington’s first trip to Seattle since 2017 when Kirk Cousins led the then-Redskins to an improbable last-second win.
The two teams have met twice since — both at FedEx Field — with each team winning once.
This will be the first time since 2011 that Washington has faced the Seahawks without Russell Wilson at quarterback. Veteran Geno Smith is in his second season as Seattle’s quarterback and had his best NFL season in 2022. Smith has had an up-and-down season in 2023, with fans becoming frustrated with him due to the Seahawks’ offensive talent, particularly at wide receiver.
Seattle is a talented team on both sides of the ball. Here are five players Washington fans should keep an eye on for Sunday’s game.
RB Kenneth Walker III
Kenneth Walker III is a really good player. He is a powerful runner with excellent vision who can break long runs. Walker is banged up but should play on Sunday against the Commanders. Behind Walker is rookie second-rounder Zach Charbonnet, giving the Seahawks an excellent 1-2 punch in the backfield. The Seahawks are so difficult to defend because they can run and have dangerous weapons on the outside.
WR DK Metcalf
The Seahawks have three legitimate wide receivers, and they all offer different skill sets. DK Metcalf is the best combination of size and speed in the NFL. At 6-foot-4 and over 230 pounds, Metcalf is also incredibly fast. Seattle also has another star wideout in Tyler Lockett and rookie first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They can all present nightmare matchup problems for the Commanders, but what DC Jack Del Rio cannot do is line up 170-pound rookie Emmanuel Forbes opposite Metcalf.
EDGE Boye Mafe
One of the NFL’s rising young pass rushers, the 2022 second-round pick has six sacks this season — in six consecutive games. Mafe is big and athletic and will present matchup issues for Washington up front. Mafe is a rising star and the type of twitchy pass rusher that has given the Commanders problems.
LB Bobby Wagner
Wagner is in his 12th NFL season and is as dominant as ever. After the Seahawks let Wagner go before 2022, he went on to have a dominant season with the Rams. With the team rebuilding in 2023, Los Angeles cut Wagner, and Seattle wisely scooped him back up. He has 85 tackles on the season and is a future Hall of Famer. Could you imagine Washington’s defense if it had a player even remotely similar to Wagner in recent years?
CB Devon Witherspoon
The Commanders loved Devon Witherspoon coming out of Illinois. Unfortunately, they didn’t select high enough to land the 2023 NFL draft’s top cornerback. Witherspoon has been as advertised as a rookie, recording 39 tackles, two sacks, nine passes defended and one interception that he returned 97 yards for a touchdown. Seattle has two excellent young corners in Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen. Which one will defend Terry McLaurin, and which will match up with Jahan Dotson?
