The Washington Commanders got their first win of the season with a 33-31 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Here are five takeaways from the dramatic Week 3 matchup.

1. Three turnovers.

The Commanders' win over the Seahawks is the latest example of how turnovers can drastically impact a game. The Seahawks outgained Washington's offense by nearly 200 yards, averaged nearly three more yards per play and more than doubled the Commanders' total first downs. Sam Darnold had the best day of his career as a passer, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 128 yards.

All of that normally equals a winning performance, but they also turned over the ball three times to the Commanders' zero. The Commanders were confident their turnover drought would end as long as they stayed consistent, and they were rewarded with a turnover on the Seahawks' second drive of the game. They are the first team this season to generate three takeaways in a game and the first since the LA Rams in Week 16 of the 2025 season to accomplish the feat against the Seahawks.

It's been a while since the Commanders' defense has managed to record three turnovers in a game. The last time came in Week 6 of the 2023 season, which contributed to a 24-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons. It's been even longer since turnovers led to that many points for the Burgundy & Gold. Their 20 points off takeaways is the most for the team since Week 17 of the 2005 season, when they grabbed two interceptions and returned a fumble for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 31-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

After having none in the first two games, the Commanders are tied with nine other teams in total takeaways and tied for ninth in turnover margin. They are hoping that is a sign of things to come.

"Once one turns into two, turns into three," Kain Medrano said after the game, "and that momentum just kind of rolls."

2. Vintage Marcus Mariota.

Mariota still has the ability to lead an offense in his 12th season, and he turned back the clock to deliver a vintage performance against the Seahawks.

Mariota's stats were not eye-popping on Sunday. He had 183 passing yards with a completion rate of 61%. He ran the ball five times for just 11 yards, most of which came on one play. However, Mariota was efficient as he led the Commanders' offense against one of the best defenses in the league. He made the plays when it mattered most, tossing three touchdown passes for the first time since Week 8 of the 2022 season and ninth in his career. He got rid of the ball quickly, giving receivers chances to make plays.

That's one of many things his teammates love about him.

"He trusts me to make plays, and I trust that he's going to put the ball where he needs to be, and our communication is great, too," Terry McLaurin said after the game.

There were a few examples of Mariota putting his faith in his receivers, whether it was his touchdown passes to Treylon Burks or McLaurin, but one of his better moments came on fourth-and-2 at the Seahawks' 40-yard line. McLaurin ran a slant route as the primary option, and while he wasn't completely open, Mariota trusted him to make a play anyway. McLaurin picked up the conversion with a six-yard gain.

And while Mariota wasn't overly active on the ground, his final carry effectively ended the game. He kept the ball on a read option facing a third-and-7 and dove for a nine-yard pickup.

"We really haven't had much of it, and I thought it was just a good wrinkle at the end," Mariota said.

The Commanders don't know how long Jayden Daniels will be sidelined, but they have confidence Mariota can lead them for however long it takes.

3. A big day from Sonny Styles.

The Commanders drafted Sonny Styles believing he could help transform their defense, and Sunday's game was the best example of their vision.

Styles impacted the Seahawks' game plan at every level. He contributed to the first turnover of the game and was in the right spot for his first career interception in the second half. He also made the call at the line of scrimmage that led to Medrano's interception returned for a touchdown.

"Sonny knows ball, and it's nice to be out there playing with somebody that understands and has a good IQ of the game," Medrano said.

But Styles did more than that to fill up the stat sheet. He also had five tackles and a quarterback hit. In the passing game, he batted away a pass intended for fellow rookie Jadarian Price that would have resulted in an explosive play down the sideline.

In a way, Styles put together a novel performance against the Seahawks. He was the first Washington linebacker to have a forced fumble since LB Bobby Wagner in Week 5 of 2024; the first Washington linebacker to have a forced fumble in their rookie season since LB Cole Holcomb in Week 12 of 2019; and the first Washington rookie to record at least one interception, one forced fumble and have multiple passes defensed in a single game in franchise history.

And Styles believes there's more to unlock in his skill set.

"I think there's still more plays to be made," Styles said.

4. The run defense is legit good.

The Commanders were one of the worst teams at defending the run last season, averaging more than 141 yards allowed per game. The front office sought to change that this past offseason, and now, it's arguably the defense's best trait.

The Seahawks, who entered the Week 3 matchup ranked ninth in rushing offense, found almost no success on the ground against the Commanders. They put up 44 yards on just 18 carries, averaging 2.4 yards per attempt. Price was the leading rusher with 15 yards, although most of that came off an 11-yard run that was also the Seahawks' longest of the day. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Commanders since Week 13 of the 2024 season against Tennessee.

That didn't stop the Seahawks from having success on offense, as they turned more to the passing game, but their inability to run the ball did affect the game in tangible ways. The best example came during the Seahawks' failed attempt at scoring at the Commanders' 2-yard line in the second quarter. The Seahawks elected to pass the ball on three consecutive plays, leading to a turnover on downs.

The Commanders still have plenty to work on with their defense, but their presence on the ground gives them a foundation to build upon in the coming weeks.

5. 1-2 is better than 0-3.

As head coach Dan Quinn pointed out during his postgame press conference, neither a record of 1-2 nor one of 0-3 look good on paper. Both are below .500 and signal that there are things to work on for the team to be competitive.

And yet, the vibe around the team is drastically different. Perhaps them beating last year's Super Bowl champions plays a role in that, but things were looking bleak with back-to-back losses to open a season for the first time since 2019. What's more, injuries to several key players, including Daniels, brought up some painful memories from last season when the same issue played a role in upending the team's hopes.

Now, things look much more hopeful for a team that is going out of the country for its next game. The schedule gets a bit easier with the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants up next, and there is hope that the Commanders can get to 3-2 before their first primetime game against the San Francisco 49ers. That would be a stark turnaround after a disappointing road loss to the Cowboys that also featured Daniels dislocating his elbow.

In the end, as good as the win was, it was only one game with 14 more up next. The Commanders need to repeat that performance to remain competitive. However, things are different with a win on the schedule, and the players aren't taking that for granted.

"I know it's only one week...but I really think that this is a big time stepping stone for us moving forward," Mariota said.