SEATTLE — Sunday’s game began with such an oddity — interceptions by each team on the first two plays — that it’s unclear the last time it happened in an NFL game, if it ever has. According to ESPN and Elias Sports, it hasn’t happened since at least 1978, as far back as they have data to do research. But after Justin Herbert threw a pick to Seattle’s Drake Thomas on the first snap of the game ...

Emanuel Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks runs the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the third quarter at Lumen Field on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Seattle.

Steph Chambers/Getty Images North America/TNS

SEATTLE — Sunday’s game began with such an oddity — interceptions by each team on the first two plays — that it’s unclear the last time it happened in an NFL game, if it ever has.

According to ESPN and Elias Sports, it hasn’t happened since at least 1978, as far back as they have data to do research.

But after Justin Herbert threw a pick to Seattle’s Drake Thomas on the first snap of the game and Seahawks QB Sam Darnold responded with one to Los Angeles' Tuli Tuiputlo on the next snap, a sense of normalcy eventually reigned.

For a while, anyway.

After the Seahawks grabbed a three-touchdown lead early in the third quarter, seemingly on its way to a blow out, things again grew chaotic and the Seahawks had to hold on for a 30-23 win over the Chargers.

The Seahawks committed 14 penalties for 150 yards, which helped get the Chargers back in the game.

The penalty yardage against the Seahawks was a club record, while the number was just shy of the top five most ever called against them in a single game.

A field goal by L.A.’s Cameron Dicker cut what had been a 27-6 lead to 30-23 with 2:14 remaining. The Chargers forced a Seahawks punt and got the ball back at their own 11 with 1:42 remaining and a chance to pull off an unfathomable comeback.

After the Chargers got one first down, the drama ended quickly when Uchenna Nwosu — who began his NFL career with the Chargers — burst around backup left tackle Logan Taylor and forced a fumble that teammate Derick Hall recovered at the L.A. 10 to finally end the game.

Otherwise, this was what the Seahawks wanted from a mostly dominating defense and an opportunistic offense to allow them to achieve a get-right win after last week’s loss at Washington.

The Seahawks held the Chargers to just 163 yards through three quarters and got serviceable work out of its running game, especially Emanuel Wilson, taking over as the starter for Jadarian Price.

Wilson scored rushing and receiving touchdowns and finished with 81 yards rushing on 21 carries and 39 yards receiving on three catches.

The Seahawks also appeared to avoid a significant injury to star defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who limped off the field with an ankle injury midway through the fourth quarter. After being examined in the blue medical tent for five minutes or so, he emerged with his uniform still on and helmet in hand and listed as questionable, an apparent sign he was not seriously hurt.

With the win, the Seahawks improved to 3-1 and sets up the first of what could be several showdowns for NFC West supremacy this season with a game at Lumen Field next Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, who improved to 4-0 with a win at Denver.

After the Chargers converted Darnold’s interception into a field goal and a 3-0 lead, the Seahawks grabbed a lead they would never relinquish.

They did so by taking advantage of a Chargers muffed punt — one of three L.A. turnovers in the first half alone — to take over at the 23 and score on the next play when Wilson took a screen pass and used good blocking to scoot easily into the end zone. That put the Seahawks ahead 7-3 with 9:55 left in the first quarter.

The Seahawks appeared to all-but put the game away with a dominating second quarter in which they outscored the Chargers 13-3 and outgained them 121-32, with 26 of L.A.’s yards coming on a scramble in the final minute from Chargers QB Justin Herbert.

The Seahawks’ offense was stagnant with four of its first six possessions ending in a punt and the other in the first-play interception.

But the Seahawks finally converted a third down with just under nine minutes to play in the second quarter when Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 28 yards on third-and-16.

Four plays later, on a first down at the 28, receiver Rashid Shaheed lined up in the backfield, took a pitch to the left from Darnold, found an opening down the sideline and raced into the end zone for a TD that put the Seahawks ahead 13-3.

A few minutes later, Herbert threw a pass right to Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV at the Chargers 40. He returned it to the 20, where two plays later Wilson scooted in from eight yards for a TD to make it 20-3.

Herbert’s scramble and a personal foul penalty on Nick Emmanwori got the Chargers into position for a last-play field goal to make it 20-6 at the half.

The Seahawks outgained the Chargers 190-92 in the first half, including getting 82 on the ground on 15 attempts.

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