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First quarter
The Washington Commanders’ opening script quickly exposed holes in the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense,
as Marcus Mariota marched into Kansas City territory with ease.
On the first play across midfield, Chris Jones broke through the offensive line and sacked Mariota for a six-yard loss. But on the very next snap, Mariota found Terry McLaurin on a corner route to move the chains.
Mixing his arm and legs, Mariota continued to keep the Chiefs off balance. Once the Commanders reached the red zone, he tucked the ball and ran it in himself for the first touchdown of the game.
On the Chiefs’ opening drive, Patrick Mahomes wasted no time responding—connecting with Rashee Rice for 23 yards and then Travis Kelce for another 24—to flip the field and move deep into Washington territory.
End of first quarter: Commanders 7, Chiefs 0
Second quarter
On the first play of the second quarter, Mahomes handed off to Isiah Pacheco, who went untouched into the end zone to tie the game.
Mariota’s next series started poorly. He tossed a backward screen pass to running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt that deflected off a Chiefs defender, resulting in a 10-yard loss. The Commanders never recovered from the mistake and were forced to punt.
Mahomes continued to enjoy a clean pocket from his offensive line, allowing plays to develop. He fired an 18-yard strike to Hollywood Brown to move into plus territory.
Before one snap, Xavier Worthy looked over at Mahomes and waved, signaling he was open before the play even began. Moments later, he proved himself right—hauling in a wide-open slant for an easy 13-yard gain.
Mahomes, perhaps inspired by Mariota’s earlier touchdown run, decided to take matters into his own hands. Needing ten yards for a first down, he scrambled and turned it into a 17-yard touchdown—spinning past a defender and reaching the ball across the goal line as he crossed it. Naturally, Mahomes got up and flexed for the crowd.
On the next defensive series, cornerback Chamarri Conner went down with an injury, bringing in Kevin Knowles. On his very first snap, Knowles recorded his first sack of the season.
Mariota tried to scramble for a first down soon after but was crushed by Nick Bolton, who jarred the ball loose. Conner—back in the game after missing a few plays—scooped up the fumble, giving Kansas City a massive turnover just before halftime.
End of second quarter: Chiefs 14, Commanders 7
Third quarter
The Chiefs won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Their opening drive after halftime proved relentless. The Commanders had four chances to get Kansas City off the field on third-and-10 situations—but failed each time. The final conversion capped the drive as Mahomes connected with Hollywood Brown for a 17-yard touchdown to extend the lead to two possessions.
The Commanders managed to respond, but only with a field goal, cutting into the deficit slightly.
End of third quarter: Chiefs 21, Commanders 7
Fourth quarter
Pacheco opened the quarter with the longest run of the game, bursting free for 31 yards. The Chiefs continued to dominate on third down, with Mahomes and Rice connecting once again to convert another third-and-10.
Mahomes dropped a dime to Rice on a corner route for the touchdown, putting Kansas City up by three scores.
Mariota refused to go quietly, moving the Commanders downfield with several scrambles and absorbing big hits from the Chiefs’ defense. A costly defensive pass interference penalty gave The Commies prime field position, and Mariota capped the drive by forcing his way into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the day.
The Commanders attempted an onside kick, but the Chiefs recovered.
With the game in hand, Kansas City lined up to kneel out the clock after the two-minute warning—but on the next play, they surprised everyone by handing it off to Pacheco, who powered into the end zone for one final touchdown.
Final score: Chiefs 35, Commanders 17
Notable stats
- Patrick Mahomes 21 for 30, 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 carries, 16 yards, 1 touchdown
- Marcus Mariota 15 for 20, 178 yards, 12 carries, 109 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Isiah Pacheco 13 carries, 70 yards, 1 touchdown
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt 9 carries, 50 yards
- Rashee Rice 5 receptions, 69 yards, 1 touchdown
- Hollywood 5 receptions, 58 yards, 1 touchdown
- Xavier Worthy 4 receptions, 50 yards
- Travis Kelce 3 receptions, 49 yards
- Deebo Samuel Sr. 4 receptions, 69 yards
- Terry McLaurin 3 receptions, 33 yards
- Nick Bolton 10 tackles (2 solo, 2 for loss), 1 forced fumble
- George Karlafits 3 solo, 2 for loss, 1 sack
- Kevin Knowles 1 sack
- Chris Jones 1 sack
In Week 9, the Chiefs will be on the road, where they will face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon. We’ll once again see how the game plays out in the EA Universe.
