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Commanders-Chiefs on ‘Monday Night Football’: What We Learned from Kansas City’s 28-7 win
Washington’s fight can’t make up for limitations. The Commanders deserve a healthy amount of credit for how they approached this prime-time affair in which most everyone expected them to lose. They showed up ready to scrap for four quarters and took the fight to the Chiefs early. Washington stopped an early Kansas City drive in its tracks when Marshon Lattimore made an excellent play, snagging a Mahomes pass for a one-armed interception. The Commanders forced another turnover on the ensuing
Chiefs drive and transformed into a remarkably sticky secondary in the first half, keeping this game close heading into the break.
Ultimately, though, the Commanders’ offensive limitations — and kicker Matt Gay’s absence — meant they didn’t get anything out of those early takeaways. Against lesser opponents, they may have been able to survive these missed opportunities, but when facing these Chiefs, teams like Washington must capitalize when given chances to gain an early advantage. Halftime afforded the Chiefs a chance to adjust and it became clear Washington’s wasted chances would be its downfall, an unfortunate result for a team that hasn’t had much luck with health or circumstance this season.
It’s difficult to determine where the Commanders are headed. Washington is a team that’s been tough to pin down through eight weeks. The Commanders’ best win was a 27-10 comeback victory over the Chargers in Inglewood, but they’ve lacked that type of performance in most of their other contests against perceived quality teams.
The 44-22 loss to the Cowboys was concerning on a number of fronts but could be excused away by Jayden Daniels’ injury. So too can this one, but the road only gets tougher from here with games against Seattle, Detroit and Denver in the next five weeks.
Marcus Mariota is a solid backup, but it’s difficult to envision them keeping up with the Seahawks when they managed to score just seven points against the Chiefs, and the same is true for their matchup with the Lions. They need Daniels back soon and a hamstring injury typically doesn’t call for a quick return, meaning it will take a significant team effort — similar to the one they showed in the first half Monday night — to prevent this season from sliding off the rails. Buckle up.
Next Gen Stats insight from Commanders-Chiefs (via NFL Pro): Patrick Mahomes averaged 2.95 seconds to throw on Monday night, his longest this season. On throws over four seconds, he completed 8 of 9 passes for 149 yards and all three of his touchdown passes. Mahomes also scrambled on a season-high 28.2% of his dropbacks, recording three scramble runs for 31 rushing yards while completing 4 of 6 scramble passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns.
Commanders.com
Instant analysis | Commanders drop third straight with 28-7 loss to Chiefs
There were two versions of the Washington Commanders on the field against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The first that showed up looked more like the Commanders team that was expected to start the season, minus Jayden Daniels. The offense was moving the ball — at times, almost with ease against the Chiefs’ top 10 defense. The Chiefs were just as effective, but the defensive changes the coaching staff promised earlier in the week seemed to be working. The unit played faster and forced turnovers, doubling their season total in two quarters.
If the first half was what fans hoped they would see from the Commanders in the second season of Dan Quinn’s tenure, the second half was more of what the team had looked like for many of the previous seven games. The offense flashed at times but couldn’t stay on the field for extended periods, while the defense gave up explosive plays and allowed 21 points as well as 271 yards in the final two quarters.
The potential was there for the Commanders to pull out an upset of the Chiefs, but a mixture of self-inflicted errors and the Chiefs looking more like themselves, a tied game quickly turned into a 28-7 defeat, leaving the Commanders at 3-5 with a daunting schedule ahead.
NFL.com
Zach Ertz: ‘Clock is ticking’ for 3-5 Commanders after blowout loss to Chiefs
The scoreboard read 7-7 at halftime of Monday night’s Kansas City Chiefs-Washington Commanders game, but the road team already lost. Dan Quinn’s squad missed opportunities to take advantage of a wobbly Patrick Mahomes offense early, then got boatraced in the second half, falling 28-7.
The Washington defense, which has been a sieve all season, made plays early, however, the lack of consistent pressure on Mahomes eventually broke them, leading to three consecutive Chiefs touchdown drives to open the second half that broke the game open.
Washington was outgained 432-260, allowing the Chiefs to go 2-of-2 on fourth downs, 4-of-4 in the red zone and 2-of-2 in goal-to-go situations. K.C. didn’t have a three-and-out all night.
The blowout loss pushes Washington to 3-5, well behind the 6-2 Eagles in the division. The Commanders currently sit in 13th in the NFC.
Tight end Zach Ertz said Washington has to find consistency to stack wins.
“It’s just too many highs and lows,” he said. “Just haven’t executed consistently enough in all three phases in a game. Play a half really well and then don’t play the second half well. Play a game well in one phase, don’t play well in another. I thought we had a really good week of practice, honestly, and I’m confident that if we can continue to practice like we do, that’s going to turn. But the clock is ticking, obviously.”
The biggest clock tick is Daniels’ hamstring. Mariota wasn’t the reason for the loss, but the backup quarterback is unable to overcome the pitfalls of a defense that struggles to get off the field for long stretches.
Pro Football Talk
Dan Quinn, Andy Reid both cite fourth downs as a key reason Commanders lost to Chiefs
Both teams went for it on fourth down twice, with the Commanders coming up short both times and the Chiefs converting both times. Quinn cited that after the game as one of the key reasons the Commanders lost 28-7.
“Going in to this game, we were going to be bolder on fourth,” Quinn said. “This is a game you’ve got to live on the edge. If you’re going to come here and get a win it’s not going to be with a bunch of field goals.”
On both of the Commanders’ fourth down attempts, they called passes. Marcus Mariota threw incomplete on one and got a five-yard gain on fourth-and-6 on the other. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes threw a touchdown pass on one fourth down and Kareem Hunt ran for another first down.
“Man, did we leave a lot of opportunities out there tonight, and you cannot leave that many chances out there and expect to win, especially against this team,” Quinn said. “Not capitalizing on turnovers, not winning on fourth downs. They did.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Chiefs vs. Commanders takeaways: Kansas City dominates second half to win third consecutive game
The Kansas City Chiefs opened the second half of their “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Washington Commanders with three consecutive touchdown drives en route to a 28-7 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
This Commanders team is just not built for anything more than one good half. Injuries are part of the problem — and that only got worse tonight with left tackle Laremy Tunsil (hamstring) and wide receiver Terry McLaurin (quad) leaving early.
McLaurin’s return showed just how valuable he is to the offense. The potential to lose him again would be a dagger for the Commanders, though he said after the game that he was “pretty optimistic.”
Aside from ailing stars, persistent mistakes continued to do in the Commanders.
Washington finally got takeaways but couldn’t sustain the pressure on Mahomes for four quarters. The Commanders are halfway through the season but appear gassed.
Washington Post (paywall)
This Commanders season? It’s starting to hurt.
With more injuries and missed opportunities, this Washington game felt like a rerun, and it’s getting stale
The star receiver returned to action Monday night, and though he made the impossible look routine, he’s now planning to take his latest pain “day by day.” The big trade acquisition over the offseason didn’t play a down in the second half. One of the few defensive linemen who has avoided the injury list also couldn’t finish the game. And inside a quiet visiting locker room, the franchise quarterback watched baseball.
If you were expecting something new to emerge from the latest Washington Commanders’ result, a storyline that didn’t include words about body parts or blown opportunities, then sorry, wrong season.
[T]he Commanders are mired in a cycle of bad breaks and poor play, as evidenced by their 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Man, did we leave a lot of opportunities out there tonight,” Coach Dan Quinn said.
For the Commanders, who are short on depth and long on tough luck, there’s little room for error.
Heavy.com
Jeremy McNichols : Paces pass catchers in loss
McNichols rushed once for four yards and brought in five of six targets for 64 yards in the Commanders’ 28-7 loss to the Chiefs on Monday night. The veteran running back was once again minimally involved on the ground, but he posted team-high and season-best reception and receiving yardage totals. McNichols also tied for the team lead in targets while setting a new season-long high-water mark in that category, and he projects to remain in a similar role irrespective of who’s under center for the Commanders in a Week 9 home matchup against the Seahawks on Sunday night.
Riggo’s Rag
Marcus Mariota’s exceptional first half
Considering the Washington Commanders were double-digit underdogs heading into the clash, they gave a tremendous account of themselves during the first half. The defense turned up ready to play, picking off quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice in quick succession. And Marcus Mariota had no trouble moving the ball downfield during an exceptional opening two quarters.
Aside from the interception — which was more on Deebo Samuel Sr. than the quarterback — Mariota was almost flawless. He got through his progressions quickly, made smart decisions, and trusted his weapons to make plays. His touchdown throw to wide receiver Terry McLaurin was first-class stuff, and it was expertly brought in by the pass-catcher to tie things up heading into the interval.
This was reflected in the stats. Mariota’s pick was the only real blemish, but he could do absolutely nothing about that.
- 82.35 percent completion
- 155 passing yards
- 1 touchdown
- 1 interception
- 1 sack against
- 22 rushing yards (6 carries)
- 99.8 passer rating (ESPN)
There was cautious optimism and apprehension in equal measure when Jayden Daniels was ruled out. But Mariota kept things ticking over instantly, and fans of both clubs quickly discovered that this was not going to be the walkover most had envisaged beforehand.
Pro Football Focus
NFL Week 8 Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 28, Washington Commanders 7
Riggo’s Rag
2 winners (and 5 losers) from Commanders’ prime time meltdown against Chiefs
It started well enough, but things unraveled quickly.
Loser No. 2
Jaylin Lane – Commanders WR
This was always going to be a game of razor-thin margins for the Washington Commanders. They came into the contest short-handed versus a team in red-hot form. Anything less than supreme execution across all phases would carry severe ramifications.
Sadly, that didn’t happen. This moment proved too big for rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane, whose error-prone outing represented a stain on his recent improvements.
The fourth-round selection fumbled a critical kickoff return out of bounds, leaving the Commanders starting a drive where they desperately needed points on the one-yard line.
Lane followed this up a few plays later with an unacceptable drop.
He brought in a target after that but failed to gain any positive yardage.
This is all part of Lane’s learning experience. He’s still growing as a player, and there will be difficult moments. At the same time, he’s got enough athleticism and elusiveness to become an asset with additional polish.
Winner No. 1
Jacob Martin – Commanders DE
There weren’t many reasons for Commanders fans to cheer, especially during the second half. They performed far better than anyone expected over the opening two quarters. But once they were forced to chase the game, the same complications soon arose.
Some encouraging signs did emerge amid the doom and gloom. The Commanders needed one of their few edge rushers to step up in the wake of Dorance Armstrong Jr.’s season-ending knee injury. Jacob Martin led the rallying cry before the contest and brought that aggressive passion onto the field.
Martin was the only player who seemed capable of generating consistent pressure. He gave left tackle Jaylon Moore a torrid time in the opening exchanges, overwhelming him with an impressive blend of power, explosiveness, and drive. Finishing the game with two sacks, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits was a big positive. Unfortunately, it didn’t affect the eventual outcome.
The free-agent signing is doing enough to start. Martin might also be on his way to getting another contract at season’s end if the same trend continues.
Commanders Wire
NFL insider casts doubt on Jayden Daniels’ availability for Week 9
Daniels has already missed three games, including Week 8, and now NFL insider Adam Schefter isn’t sure the quarterback will be back for Week 9 either.
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, Schefter was asked about Daniels’ status against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football in Week 9.
“I just think a guy that’s had a knee injury and a hamstring injury… Hamstrings, you gotta be really careful with that… I won’t be surprised if we don’t see Jayden again on Sunday night,” Schefter said.
NFL.com
2025 NFL trade needs tracker: Every team’s top priority ahead of Nov. 4 deadline
BIGGEST NEED: Secondary
Heading into Week 8, the Commanders’ aged defense continued to get worked over. Marshon Lattimore has been picked on regularly. Mike Sainristil is having a disappointing Year 2 thus far. And the safety crew has been beat and missed tackles. As Dan Quinn’s crew is currently constructed, things won’t get better.
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Commanders Squander Opportunities in Loss to Chiefs
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Blogging the Boys
3 reasons why the Cowboys lost to the Broncos
Hello darkness, my all too familiar friend. Needing a win to keep pace in the NFC playoff chase, the Cowboys needed to pull off an upset. Instead, fans were upset. The Cowboys rolled into the Mile High City only to be trampled by the Denver Broncos. Dak Prescott’s MVP candidacy likely came to a screeching halt after a poor performance where his streak of at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions was snapped.
Conditions were not ideal, but Prescott wasn’t making matters any better. His two interceptions took potential points off the board for a team that needed a shootout just to have an outside chance of winning. That said, it wasn’t only Prescott responsible for the team’s struggles; many other factors contributed to the embarrassing loss. Here are three more reasons why Dallas lost against Denver.
A defenseless defense
Where do we start? Yes, the Dallas secondary is very depleted. Trevon Diggs was placed on injured reserve on Saturday, Juanyeh Thomas was inactive as was Donovan Wilson, but still the secondary is not performing even at an acceptable level given the circumstances. Despite getting an interception, Bridges was often picked on by Bo Nix and allowed multiple touchdowns in pass coverage. Also, the secondary cannot seem to get on the right page in zone coverage.
Countless times this season we’ve seen the secondary lose a receiver in zone coverage, and the players on the field look confused as to whose assignment it was to pick up someone running uncovered in the secondary. A prime example was Dallas having Denver backed up on 1st-and-20 from the Dallas 25-yard line. No problem for Nix and company. The Cowboys lost Troy Franklin in the middle of their zone defense, and he caught an uncontested touchdown in the middle of the end zone.
Furthermore, the secondary allowed too many runs by Denver to be bounced outside for big gains.
Big Blue View
Should Eagles’ Zach Baun be fined for hip-drop tackle on Giants’ Cam Skattebo?
The New York Giants have plenty of reasons to be upset with the officiating in Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
One call in particular, or rather a non-call, stands out in particular. That’s the play which cost Cam Skattebo the remainder of his rookie season.
We won’t show video of the play, but Skattebo ran a route on a second-and-16. Eagles’ linebacker Zach Baun got there a hair early, but that wasn’t the issue. Rather it’s the tackle, with Baun wrapping Skattebo up, dropped his weight, swinging himself down and trapping his legs under him which is the problem.
In other words, Baun seems to have executed a “hip-drop” tackle. Or at least that’s how it looks here.
The hip drop tackle was banned due to the risk for offensive players, which was proven out by Skattebo’s injury.
The play, of course, wasn’t called. It usually isn’t called during games. Rather, the league fines players it deems as having executed one.
There’s some question as to whether the play was a hip-drop by the letter of the rule.
The NFL has emphasized player safety, and Skattebo’s injury was a gruesome one. And considering his recent status as a popular young player, it’s a very public injury. The NFL may want to use the incident to show that they’re serious about protecting players and policing dangerous plays.
We won’t get into whether or not the NFL “owes” the Giants after the poorly officiated game. Yes, there was potentially a 17-point swing. And the play cost the Giants one of their best young players.
but there’s also no way for the Giants to be made whole and Skattebo can’t be magically healed.
Upcoming opponent
Field Gulls
49ers stumble allows Seahawks to slide into first place in NFC West
Without even setting foot on the field in Week 8, the Seattle Seahawks have moved into first place in the NFC West.
As the end of October quickly approached, a three-team logjam formed atop the NFC West.
The Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams all entered Week 8 at 5-2, though the Niners held the division lead thanks to their 3-0 record against other NFC West foes. That gave San Francisco the tiebreaker over both Seattle and Los Angeles.
However, the 49ers falling 26-15 to the Houston Texans dropped San Francisco to 5-3 and out of the tie with Los Angeles and Seattle.
With the Rams winless against NFC West opponents, having dropped their lone division contest to the Niners, the Seahawks take over first place thanks to the tiebreaker courtesy of their Week 4 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
With both the Rams and Cardinals also enjoying a bye in Week 8, the Seahawks are assured to hold the division lead through the Week.
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ESPN
What Carson Wentz’s injury means for Vikings, J.J. McCarthy
Wearing a series of harnesses to hold together his left shoulder, Wentz frequently grimaced in pain. Sacked five times and hit on four other occasions, he repeatedly clutched his arm as if to prevent it from falling off. After his final pass in the Minnesota Vikings’ 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, he hurled his helmet toward the bench, covered his face with a towel and then appeared to be holding back tears as he looked toward the sky.
The entire night was a throwback to previous eras of gladiator football, when players were glorified for pushing through injuries that would cripple mere mortals. As it turns out, Wentz was playing with a torn labrum and fractured socket caused by a dislocation he suffered on Oct. 5 against the Browns. He said Thursday night that he could still function well enough to help the team, and coach Kevin O’Connell said that Wentz told him repeatedly he could continue playing.
As long as Wentz stayed in the game, second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy was ineligible to play. As the designated emergency third quarterback, and in his sixth week of recovery from a high right ankle sprain, McCarthy could play only if both Wentz and No. 2 quarterback Max Brosmer were ruled out by medical officials.
With tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill both sidelined by knee injuries, and the Vikings using a converted guard (Blake Brandel) at center, O’Connell said afterward he did not want to subject the undrafted rookie Brosmer — much less McCarthy — to the carnage.
Wentz sheltered McCarthy and Brosmer for as long as he could, but now it’s time to find out whether either of them can play. McCarthy is expected to resume his role as the starter Sunday against the Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Brosmer, signed in May as an undrafted rookie, will be his backup. Together, they have thrown a total of 49 NFL passes and played 122 regular-season snaps. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, has sat out 23 of a possible 25 games in his NFL career (including the playoffs) because of the sprained ankle and a torn right meniscus that cost him all of last season.
