Washington Finally Found the Takeaways. Now Comes the Harder Part — Commanders Daily

Washington has forced five takeaways in its last two games. Seattle and Indianapolis showed just how different their value can be depending on what happens next.

Oct 4, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Washington Commanders linebacker Odafe Oweh (98) sacks Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) during the first quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Washington has forced five takeaways over the last two games, but Seattle and Indianapolis showed why creating extra possessions is only half the job. | Philip Hughes

After Week 2, we emphasized that after an offseason spent focused on creating them, Washington was heading into the Seattle game with no takeaways. New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones made that a major priority of his offseason program. The unit broke through, getting three against the Seahawks and two in London against Indianapolis. With the takeaway faucet on, the conversation has shifted from whether they're getting them to whether they're turning those extra possessions into points.

Jones talked about it before the season: "Well, we've been preaching it, but it's just a mindset. I think it's their intentionality with it. When you're seeing a ball carrier break through at practice and guys are trying to take shots on the ball rather than just going for a tackle, different things like that," Jones said. "Trying to attack the ball at high points, tracking the ball. I think you just want to create a conscious level with that."

The Seattle game is the perfect template for how takeaways are supposed to work. The team got to work early with cornerback Amik Robertson peanut-punching the ball out of rookie running back Jadarian Price's hands and defensive tackle Tim Settle recovering it at the Seattle 21. Four plays later, the Commanders scored on a six-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Rachaad White. Early in the third, rookie linebacker Sonny Styles intercepted a Sam Darnold pass that skipped off Settle's helmet; Washington scored three plays later on a 30-yard Mariota-to-Terry McLaurin touchdown. The day was, of course, capped off by LB Kain Medrano's 50-yard pick-six, giving Washington 20 points on three takeaways (they missed an extra point after Frankie Luvu was flagged for running onto the field to celebrate while not in uniform).

Before the Seattle game, Jones was adamant that sticking to the process was the way to go. "It just takes that one, and the ball will start rolling... Meek had a couple of good shots out on the perimeter on the ball," Jones said, talking about Amik Robertson. "So you just got to keep going at it. Got to keep just chopping wood, and eventually the tree will fall." Robertson got the first takeaway; from that point through London, Washington produced five takeaways in less than eight quarters of football after having none through its first eight quarters.

The issue is that in London, the team didn't capitalize. On the Colts' opening possession, Odafe Oweh forced and recovered Daniel Jones' fumble after pushing his man back into the quarterback; Washington took over at the Indy 21. Four plays later, the team settled for a Drew Stevens 31-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Rasul Douglas picked off a Jones pass and returned it to Washington's 37; the Commanders gained nine yards on the ensuing possession before getting stopped on fourth-and-1 at their own 46.

Seattle: 3 takeaways → 20 points → win.
Indianapolis: 2 takeaways → 3 points → loss.

🚨 Interception

CB Rasul Douglas catches a meatball sub from Daniel Jones. #Commanders defense has forced 2 turnovers already this game. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/UvZxQhG4ZH

— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) October 4, 2026

After the loss in London, Quinn acknowledged the issue: "I loved the way the defense started, creating some takeaways, but to only get field goals out of those, I thought those were ones that we needed to nail." He went on, "I thought between the penalties and not converting on some touchdowns on the takeaways, those were two big parts of the game," Quinn said.

Quinn has a point. For the process to work, the offense has to follow through. If no one is maximizing the opportunity by scoring, then getting takeaways means a lot less.

One side of this conversation points to a defense that should be encouraged by getting the five takeaways in the last two games, which is real progress. But the last two games have given Washington radically different examples of the value of those takeaways. Against Seattle, they turned extra possessions into points; in London, they turned them mainly into missed opportunities.

Washington finally found the takeaways it spent the offseason setting up for. Now comes the part that decides whether they actually change games: doing something with the football once the defense gives it back.

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