Entering their Week 4 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the Washington Commanders were one of three teams in the NFL that had yet to force a turnover. That changed on Sunday.
Not much went right for the Commanders against the Falcons, but they came up with at least a few highlight-reel plays. One of them was courtesy of a unit that was in desperate need of a spark.
Midway through the third quarter, cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepted Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., giving the Commanders the ball deep in Atlanta territory.
Mike Sainristil's third-quarter interception a silver lining for Commanders' struggling pass defense
Washington's defensive backfield has been disappointing thus far in 2025, and its performance was far from ideal. A Falcons offense that never crossed the opposing 30-yard line against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 was humming all afternoon, with several big plays given up to Atlanta's receiving weapons.
Sainristil was expected to be the emerging star of the unit after a promising rookie year, and had been quiet through three weeks. But he did his part against the Falcons, coming up with a takeaway right when his team needed it the most.
Unfortunately for Washington, it didn't serve as the turning point the Commanders needed. The offense, after being set up with prime field position, was only able to score a field goal on the next drive. The Falcons then marched down the field, with a 15-yard run by Tyler Allgeier finding the end zone to put Atlanta back ahead by multiple scores.
For Sainristil, it's not the first time he has intercepted Penix, who he had a takeaway against in the College Football Playoff National Championship in January of 2024. He'll need to use the play to jump-start his season if he's going to measure up to the hopes Washington has for him.