The Washington Commanders’ Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks looked like a near-certain loss before the season even started.

That changed when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffered an injury during Seattle’s Week 1 matchup against New England. Now Washington has an unexpected opportunity to flip the script on a game the Commanders were not favored to win.

Darnold’s timeline opens the door

NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported that Darnold (glute) is looking at roughly a 4-week return, with the possibility of coming back to play slightly sooner. That timeline all but rules him out for the Week 3 contest against the Commanders. Drew Lock is the expected starter for Seattle until Darnold returns, leaving Washington to face a backup quarterback in a game that once felt like a scheduling disadvantage.

Lock looked competent in relief

Here’s the caveat: Lock actually performed decently filling in for Darnold. In Week 1, Lock went 16 of 22 passing for 187 yards and a touchdown while taking only one sack against a New England Patriots defense heralded as one of the best in the league. He’s not a pushover, and Washington cannot afford to sleepwalk into this game assuming the Seahawks will simply roll over without their starter.

Why this game matters for Washington’s playoff push

The Commanders are coming off a disappointing Week 1 loss to Philadelphia, a game where they had a legitimate chance to steal an early win. That makes Week 3 even more significant. Washington now sits in a prime position to grab a win against Seattle while the Seahawks are without their starting quarterback.

Playoff positioning reveals itself early sometimes. Picking up a victory against one of the NFL’s better teams, even with that team operating at less than full strength, is exactly the kind of opportunity that separates January teams from everyone else. The Commanders cannot let this one slip away. A game projected as a loss could become a turning point for Washington’s entire season if they capitalize.