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3 keys to Commanders upsetting Kansas City
Stay on the field.
After starting the season 0-2, the Chiefs are beginning to look like the juggernauts they’ve been for the past decade, particularly on offense. They’re a top 10 scoring unit heading into the Monday night matchup, and they’re preparing to play a Commanders defense that is performing near the bottom of several categories.
Although the Commanders have promised changes on defense that will improve the unit’s performance, perhaps the best way to beat the Chiefs’ offense
is to keep them off the field. That’s where Marcus Mariota and the Commanders’ offense comes into play, although maintaining drives has not been their strength through seven games like it was last year. They currently rank 26th in time of possession compared to ninth at this point in the 2024 season.
Part of the solution could come from getting Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel back on the field together — something that hasn’t happened since Week 3. The absence of one, or as was the case last week, both players, has resulted in teams overcommitting to the run game, preventing the Commanders from establishing consistent drives. For example, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has faced eight defenders in the box on 31.5% of his snaps — ninth highest in the league.
The hope is that McLaurin and Samuel’s presence will help alleviate some of that pressure, and since the Chiefs are around the league average at defending the run, there’s a chance the Commanders can exploit that weakness to keep Mahomes on the sideline.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders need Josh Conerly Jr. to continue his encouraging growth in Week 8
His ability to win A-to-B — that quick linear burst from his stance to engagement — is where he’s special. When Conerly gets his hands inside and plays with proper leverage, he can displace defenders and create running lanes that give the offense some much-needed rhythm.
A product of Oregon, Conerly’s skill set will be vital against a Kansas City Chiefs defense that thrives on chaos.
Steve Spagnuolo’s group loves to disguise pressure and bring heat from multiple directions. Conerly can expect to see overloaded looks, stunts, and blitzes off his outside shoulder.
The rookie will see plenty of Chris Jones, who the Chiefs will bump outside — a player with the strength and veteran savvy to exploit any misstep —and George Karlaftis, a relentless sack artist who wins with power and leverage, very similar to old Commanders standout Ryan Kerrigan.
It’s a baptism by fire for the young tackle, but it’s also a significant opportunity to showcase why Washington spent first-round capital on him.
Chiefs.com
Tight end Zach Ertz has four touchdown catches this season
Ertz has remained a constant in the Commanders’ passing game this year amidst Washington’s injuries, hauling in 23 catches for 229 yards and four touchdowns. All four of those scores have taken place in the red zone, and in the context of his peers, Ertz’s four red-zone touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most of any player in the NFL.
For what it’s worth, however, Ertz’s target share has differed significantly between Daniels and Mariota. His 26 targets in Daniels’ five starts trail only Deebo Samuel, but he tallied only seven targets across Mariota’s two starts this year, catching five passes for 59 yards.
Regardless, the Chiefs will need to contain Ertz on Monday – especially in the red zone. The Commanders are 21st in the NFL in terms of red-zone drives this season (with 18), but when they’ve gotten there, they’ve almost always finished with touchdowns, finding the end zone at the second-best rate (77.8%) in the league.
Heavy.com
Daron Payne : Uncertain to suit up Monday
Payne (toe) is questionable to play against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Payne didn’t practice at all this week due to a toe injury. He’s been deemed questionable to face Kansas City, and head coach Dan Quinn said Saturday, “He is dealing with a toe that’s bothered him. So just kind of working through that to get him into that spot but I’ll know more over the next day and a half,” per JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. If Payne isn’t able to give it a go Monday, Eddie Goldman could be in line for more snaps at defensive tackle.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders defense must improve drastically to upset the Chiefs
Washington’s defensive struggles have been particularly evident in the secondary, which has given up chunk yardage in the passing game. Marshon Lattimore has been a popular scapegoat, but everybody in the cornerback and safety rooms has been disappointing to at least some degree. The Commanders’ pair of 2024 All-Pro linebackers, Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, have additionally had issues in short pass coverage.
There’s certainly potential for this one to go sour in a hurry. It could bring back memories of Washington’s 2013 home contest against the Chiefs, when Kansas City scored 38 points in the first half. Or, it could end up being the game that turns the Commanders’ season around.
Chiefs.com
Kansas City will need to slow down Commanders’ tailback Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt.
Washington has dealt with a slew of injuries at the skill positions so far this season, losing players such as tailback Austin Ekeler and wide receiver Noah Brown to Injured Reserve while also missing impact pass-catchers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel for multiple games already this year. Those absences, not to mention Jayden Daniels’ injuries, have been a primary factor behind the Commanders’ 3-4 start this season.
A bright spot amongst all of that adversity, however, has been Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round draft pick who has quickly emerged as the Commanders’ lead tailback. Croskey-Merritt is averaging 5.2 yards-per-carry this season, and while the Cowboys managed to hold him in check last week, it was only three weeks ago that he racked up 111 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries against the Chargers.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders are faced with a tricky situation at the 2025 trade deadline
Should he try to patch some holes? Look for bargains at the trade deadline? Maybe push all his remaining chips into the pot and go after a genuine game-changer?
Or should he face facts and accept that 2025 is not the Commanders’ year? The team still has a fine young core. Should he explore trades that might begin to replenish his diminished stock of draft picks?
The only Commanders star on an expiring contract who might fetch a decent return is Samuel, and he only cost Washington a fifth-round pick during the offseason. His play has been good enough to warrant a slight increase in that value, but it wouldn’t be a significant boost. And considering that such a trade would be a crystal clear statement of surrender, it hardly seems worth the return.
Peters could tinker with role players. Some playoff contenders might see a value in depth pieces like Jeremy MvNichols, Noah Igbinoghene, Andrew Wylie, or Eddie Goldman. All are veterans on expiring contracts. The return would be a late-round pick at best and would probably involve a pick swap — no additional draft capital, but perhaps a slightly better position in a late round.
That minor move makes sense if the Commanders have a young player they want to give more time. For instance, if they are ready to take a longer look at Car’lin Vigers at cornerback, moving Igbinoghene fits. But no such deal will move the needle much.
Regardless of what you think of the trades Peters has already made —Laremy Tunsil and Samuel have worked out reasonably well; Marshon Lattimore, not so much — the fact is that Peters is hamstrung by an overall lack of draft selections.
As of now, he has just six picks in 2026. None in the second or fourth round, and an extra one in the sixth as a result of the Brian Robinson Jr. trade. That’s not too bad in a vacuum. But it is coming on the heels of a draft in which he added just five new players — two of whom went in the first 125 selections.
Peters cannot afford to sacrifice more draft capital in what is likely to be a losing effort.
The situation is made more difficult by the numbers in The Athletic ($) article. Twice as many clubs were labelled as buyers as sellers; that is not unusual, but it presents Peters with a harsh reality.
If he wants to make a deal, he will need to go above market value. There are players on the clubs generally viewed as sellers — the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, and the New York Jets — that could help, but it is a seller’s market.
And the bottom line is, there is not a single player on any of those clubs — with the possible exception of defensive end Maxx Crosby — who would make a huge difference in Washington.
Podcasts & videos
HC Dan Quinn Previews Washington Commanders vs. Kansas City Chiefs | The Gameplan | NFL
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Commanders.com
PHOTOS | Working for primetime
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders as they prepare for their Monday night matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Blogging the Boys
Cowboys roster move: CB Trevon Diggs placed on injured reserve
Matters surrounding Diggs have been interesting to say the least for the last week and a half. Late last week Diggs reportedly showed up to the team’s facility after having suffered a concussion at home, and ever since then all points of leadership have been rather quiet and vague when talking about him in their public appearances.
As he has been placed on injured reserve, Trevon must now miss at least four games for the Cowboys. Again, the likes of Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, and Brian Schottenheimer have been reluctant to offer any details here so it is hard to know what to expect from Diggs when he is eligible to return. It should be noted that he is now on injured reserve through the trade deadline.
Diggs has been the subject of some consternation for some time now. Back in the offseason the Cowboys fined him for not meeting minimum workout time with the club and then during the team’s opening press conference at training camp Jerry Jones openly doubted whether giving Trevon an extension a few years ago was the right move. Again, this whole thing has been rather strange.
Bleeding Green Nation
Ranking the biggest Eagles villains of the 21st century
2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
This guy, man.
Elliott had over 1,100 rushing yards in career against the Eagles alone. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry against the Birds, higher than his career figure. If you told me it was 10 yards per carry, I might’ve believed you. Elliott’s peak coincided with some tough Eagles-Cowboys matchups during the Dak Prescott vs. Carson Wentz heyday. The Eagles’ defense looked improbably soft whenever they had to take down Elliott. It drove me mad in my 20s. He’s my least favorite player from my least favorite sports team of all time.
Oh, yeah. His go-to celebration where he was eating cereal or whatever made me skin crawl.
Big Blue View
New York Giants’ Graham Gano activated, will kick Sunday vs. Eagles
The New York Giants have activated placekicker Graham Gano from Injured Reserve for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gano, 38, was 6 of 6 on field-attempts with a long of 55 yards and 4 of 4 on extra points before being injured during pre-game warmups for the Giants Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Giants will not elevate veteran placekicker Younghoe Koo from the practice squad as insurance in the event Gano suffers another injury.
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The Athletic (paywall)
Ravens clarify Lamar Jackson’s injury report status in statement
As questions about their handling of Lamar Jackson’s injury status for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears swirl, the Baltimore Ravens put out a statement Saturday afternoon that affirmed that the quarterback participated fully in Friday’s practice.
Jackson was listed as a full participant in practice on the game’s final injury report Friday, and he was designated as questionable for Sunday’s game at M&T Bank Stadium. However, the Ravens downgraded the quarterback to out Saturday afternoon and clarified his practice participation report, saying he was limited Friday.
They provided an explanation for the move later Saturday, saying in a statement that “Lamar Jackson was present for and participated fully in our entire Friday practice ahead of Sunday’s game against the Bears. Upon further evaluation today and after conferring with the league office, because Lamar didn’t take starter reps in practice, we updated our report to reflect his practice participation.”
Labeling a starting player as a full participant in practice when he didn’t take the normal allotment of repetitions with the first team because he’s either injured or returning from an injury is considered a violation of the injury report.
Baltimore’s downgrading of Jackson to a limited participant in Saturday’s practice came less than two hours after the NFL Network reported that Jackson ran the Ravens’ scout team in Friday’s practice and wasn’t certain to play against the Bears in a game that the Ravens need to win to revive their sagging playoff hopes.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced Friday that if Jackson couldn’t play, Tyler Huntley would start for the Ravens. This is the third straight game that Jackson will miss. The Ravens are 0-2 this year without him and have scored just 13 total points. They are 4-12 without him since he became their starting quarterback.
At 1-5, the Ravens have matched their worst start in franchise history.
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Front Office Sports
Most of the 49ers’ Record Cap Number Isn’t on the Field
Between dead money and season-ending star injuries, the Niners are spending less than half of their $314.2 million cap figure—the highest in league history—on active players.
The 49ers, owners of the highest cap allocation in NFL history at $314.2 million, are currently in a six-way tie for second place in the NFC at 5–2 despite entering Sunday’s games ranked second-to-last in the league in cap spending on their active roster.
The NFL salary gap has grown enormously in recent years, spiking more than $20 million for two straight offseasons. NFL teams can roll over unused cap space into the next year, and no one takes advantage of that more than the Niners, who ended up with a record $341.4 million adjusted salary cap when the league year began in March.
A busy month saw the team promptly lose, through trade, release, or free agency, expensive veterans Deebo Samuel, Arik Armstead, Charvarius Ward, Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave, and Kyle Juszczyk, all of whom still linger in the Bay to the tune of just over $80 million of the 49ers’ league-record $101.1 million dead cap spending.
Now, after a tumultuous first seven weeks that saw the 49ers lose defensive stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to season-ending injuries, the franchise currently ranks second in the league in spending on injured players at $56.1 million. That figure, combined with the dead money, leaves the team spending just $153.1 million on their active roster, less than $300,000 ahead of the moribund New Orleans Saints for last in the league and less than half of the 49ers’ record-setting cap number.
According to Aaron Schatz, creator of Football Outsiders, Shanahan’s tenure has seen the 49ers rank in the bottom third of the league in adjusted games lost to injuries in all but one season since 2017, including dead last in 2024.
