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Commanders Kain Medrano Heroically Saves the Day Against Seattle Seahawks
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- Commanders Kain Medrano Heroically Saves the Day Against Seattle Seahawks
Facing the defending Super Bowl champions as heavy underdogs at home without their starting quarterback , the Washington Commanders were at a crossroads against the Seahawks on Sunday.
The players had no doubt heard all week about the statistics. Teams that start 0-3 make the playoffs less than 3% of the time. Those odds improve drastically to 25% if they can get to 1-2 instead.
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Washington played well on all three sides of the ball against the Seahawks, but a comfortable 24-10 lead midway through the third quarter shrank to 3, and the Seahawks had reached midfield and were driving, that is, until Kain Medrano stepped in and stopped them in their tracks, saving the game and preserving those playoff odds.
Kain Medrano saves Commanders' game, possible season, with pick 6
It's been a winding road for the 25-year-old linebacker out of UCLA .
Last year, during his rookie season, he was inactive for eight games. This season, he didn't play in the team's first game. But a Week 1 injury to Frankie Luvu and an injury to his replacement, Leo Chenal , on Sunday thrust Medrano onto the field.
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He made the most out of his opportunity.
Related: With Jayden Daniels Hurt, Commanders Lean on Key Offseason Signing
His pick-6 put the Commanders up 9 late after the team was called for a sideline celebration penalty that wasn't shown during the broadcast, and that I haven't been able to locate on social media. Regardless, the 15-yard penalty pushed the team back, and kicker Drew Stevens missed the extra point.
But Washington was able to hang on, converting a couple of key third downs with under two minutes remaining to seal the game in victory formation.
Medrano explains what happened on the play
Medrano addressed the media after the game and explained what happened on his first career interception.
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"Really it was right place right time,¨Medrano said. ¨We had a defense on and I was trying to find space to go get the quarterback and just kind of happened to run right underneath the check down route. I saw green grass I had to show off my wide receiver skills.¨
When asked what he was thinking once he made the pick and was on the return, Medrano didn't hesitate: score.
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While the Commanders were down one starter in the middle of their defense, they still had rookie Sonny Styles wearing the green dot, relaying the defensive calls from defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
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"Sonny knows ball and it's nice to be out there playing with somebody who understands and has a good IQ of the game. But were always talking no matter who's in whether its me and Sonny. Communication is what we preach,¨Medrano said.
You can see Styles directing Medrano to cover the flat ahead of the play. But when Medrano notices that the running back is the only threat in the flat, and teammate K'Lavon Chaisson has him covered, he circles back around looking to to rush the quarterback. But he finds himself running directly into Sam Darnold's check down option.
That's when his wide receiver skills took over.
'Ball is life' for Medrano, Commanders' defense
The Commanders' defense has struggled to generate turnovers this season. But they were a team possessed against the Seahawks, generating two picks and recovering a forced fumble on the way to their 33-31 victory.
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So what was different this week?
"I don't think we did anything different in practice," Medrano said before acknowledging that there actually was one big difference.
"We preach get the ball, punch at the ball, ball is life that is kind of the motto we live by. All week it was all about just being more intentional with where we're punching and how we're punching," he said.
That practice showed up on Sunday. Styles forced two fumbles on Sunday, with the team recovering one that he punched out of running back Jadarian Price's arms. Adding in two picks, the Commanders lived their ¨ball is life motto.¨
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Adam Peters remakes Washington's linebacker room
To the rest of the world, Kain Medrano is just an unknown sixth-rounder. But the former star wide receiver who was one of Colorado's most decorated multi-sport athletes is part of a defensive philosophy that GM Adam Peters has not been shy about
Peters, the third-year Commanders loves athletic linebackers .
Rookie first round pick Sonny Styles is a specimen. At 6'5″, 244 lbs, he is bigger than DK Metcalf , but his 4.46 40-yard dash time is also faster than CeeDee Lamb 's. Sonny Styles has an RAS of 9.99 .
Leo Chenal, who Medrano stepped in for Sunday after an injury, also has a Relative Athletic Score of 9.99. The Commanders signed him to a 3-year deal in the offseason.
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Medrano played wide receiver in high school, won state titles in track in field, played basketball and baseball, and won the CHSCA Freddie Steinmark Award given to Colorado's top high school athlete.
He fits right in in a LB room that is filled with athletic superstars.
Related: Jayden Daniels' Injury Narrative Contradicted By Video Evidence
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
