NFL WEEK 9 SUNDAY NIGHT PREVIEW ~ SEATTLE @ WASHINGTON
VEGAS ODDS: SEATTLE (-3) ~ TOTAL: (48)
MONEYLINE ODDS: SEATTLE (-155) ~ WASHINGTON (+135)
TEAM TOTALS: SEATTLE (24 ½) ~ WASHINGTON (21 ½)
RED HOT SEAHAWKS FACE SPIRALING COMMANDERS ON PRIME TV!
It seems like less than one week ago I was writing a sad story about my forever favorite team from DC. Oh yeah it was just Monday Night vs. the Chiefs. Well the outcome wasn’t shocking as my oldest roster in the league littered with key injuries across the board simply doesn’t really have enough talent to match up with teams that are elite. Fresh off a 3 TD loss to the Chiefs they now catch the most underrated team in the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks, winners of 5 of their last 6 games, with the only loss on a last second FG to the Buccaneers. Washington comes in limping badly losing 4 of their last 5 games and in need of some voodoo magic to turn this sinking ship around.
offense vs. defense matchups for this sunday night bailout!
SEATTLE (#11) offense (106R-244P) vs. WASH (#27) def. (129R-244P)
WASH (#16) offense (138R-197P) vs. SEATTLE (#10) def. (76R-230P)
This game has one of my favorite situations as the Commanders are (#4) rushing the ball at (138RYPG) but will face their toughest challenge all season facing the fortress of Seattle (#2) run stuffing defense allowing only (76RYPG). If Seattle stops the Commanders run game that only gained (60) rush yards Monday night vs. KC the Commanders have no shot to win. Good news for Washington is young stud QB J. Daniels returns but it will once again be without its top WR Terry McLaurin. Seattle also excels sacking opposing QBs (23 sacks = #2) so it could be a long night for Daniels if they can’t establish the run game.
Most folks will put most of the blame on the near the basement defensive unit but a huge part of the problem is this Commanders offense has lost the time of possession battle in every game but one. It isn’t known yet as of this writing but the Commanders stud left tackle L. Tunsil could be out here which would be a massive blow to an OL that has allowed (20) sacks already this season.
Neither defense can force a fumble as Seattle still at zero!
It’s rare to see any team go basically half a season without getting a fumble recovery but Seattle is still holding a bagel (0) in that department. That is usually a team with a losing record but Seattle’s “D” has done everything else elite level to win games. Washington’s defense has only 1 the entire first half thus far and actually has gone 5 full games in 2025 with zero turnovers forced at all.
Can Washington start faster to get the home crowd going?
I can honestly say I really liked my team’s offense coming into Year 2 with young QB Daniels and the addition of stud LT L. Tunsil so I never could fathom we’d be halfway through this season with only (22) first quarter points scored. If the slow starts weren’t bad enough now they face the Seahawks defense that has allowed only (25) first quarter points all season. When you are struggling as a team and you now are facing a defense you can’t run the ball a lick on and then one that has held all its opponents to under (20) points in all but one game you almost need to pitch a perfect game to win.
Seattle has been winning but not by big margins of late!
The past month the Seahawks have played mostly tight games and all of their last 4 games have been decided by a TD or less. Seattle is more “Old School” when it comes to how they are coached. Bend but don’t break defense that loads up the box to stifle their opponents’ run game (only 2 rushing TDs allowed all season so far) and they just don’t allow the big plays to beat them. Washington could be their toughest test running the ball for two reasons.
First, they are (#4) overall with a solid (138RYPG) and they always have their secret weapon with their scrambling and elusive QB Daniels to hurt them with his feet by extending plays. Washington is (#2) in red zone scoring opportunities (75%) and the one edge I do see is in the red zone as Seattle on the road has been roughed up inside the red zone.
Top trends to watch:
1). SEATTLE ON ROAD UNDER HC MACDONALD: An astonishing (10-1) straight up and perfect (3-0) this season so far (8-3 ATS).
2). WASHINGTON: (5-1) against the spread last 6 home games.
3). WASH HOME GAMES: 8 of their last 9 home games went “OVER” the Total.
4). WASHINGTON THIS YEAR ON PRIME TV GAMES: (0-3) ATS.
Gary’s final pass:
I say this many times a season for nearly 40 years but you can’t ask damaged goods teams to cash in your betting tickets. Last week a banged up Commanders team hung in there for a little while before losing by 3 TDs. They have lost their last two games by a combined (43) points. The run game went from (156RYPG) through first 5 games to teams then loading the box with extra defenders and blitzing to ensure they can’t grind long drives wearing them out.
The past 3 games they are running the ball for 50 less yards per game and now at a measly (2.8 yards per carry) the past 3 weeks vs. a loaded box. The injuries at wide receiver have killed the game plan and their top receiver the past 2 games is Deebo Samuel and he has only (7) catches for a whopping 26 total yards. OUCH!
Washington style
The Commanders like to run a “Hurry Up” style on offense and that is usually good to catch opposing defenses trying to make fast changes on the fly but Seattle’s defense runs a nickel defense (92%) of the time so they never need to make big changes. That kills the Commanders’ best way to take advantage with its depleted wideout corps so it leaves Washington with one viable way to score point for point with Seattle and that is running their slowed-by-hamstring-injury QB (Daniels) on lots of run-pass option plays in hopes a few of the Daniels keepers go for huge gainers.
Smith-Njigba hot
Seattle has gotten the same great play out of QB Sam Darnold that the Vikings got last season as he’s thrown only (4) interceptions and 12 TD passes and only sacked (9x) all season. He’s got 5 wideouts averaging (11.8) yards per catch and his #1 WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (16.4 yards per catch / 50 catches) is now completely terrorizing secondaries and playing at an MVP level. He has (5) games with over 100 receiving yards this 2025 season and his last 3 are of the “off the charts” levels (123, 162,132) on 24 receptions. There is no cornerback on this Commanders burnt toast secondary that can slow him down.
Washington’s home crowd is very antsy right now as the season of high hopes is slipping away. They will get ugly if they start very slow again and fall behind badly early. This is simply a tale of two teams going in completely opposite directions. Monday Night I went to bed not at all stunned by the 3 TD loss and it would take a huge turnover margin PLUS for them to win this game. Seattle under this young HC Macdonald has proved to the most insane level he can prepare his team to win on the road (1 loss in 11 road contests). Enjoy the game and may all your wagers be WINNING ones!
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